Joyfully Celebrating Our All-Sufficient Lord

1 Chronicles 29:13
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

King David was given unimaginable riches to pass along to his son, Solomon, who had been chosen by God to build the temple. As the riches were collected, all the people came together and brought the things that they could contribute to the building of the temple. Think of the immense pleasure and satisfaction that David felt as he stood over this assembly. He captured the moment perfectly.

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

As we approach Thanksgiving Day, may the gratitude that we feel for the goodness and loving kindness of the Lord extend beyond the table top into our lives everyday. May the world see our joy as we live in the fullness of the gift of salvation and the certain provision of a place in the kingdom of God for all eternity.

Let us fill our hearts daily with thanks and praise for Our All Sufficient Lord. Let the world know us by our joy as we celebrate the unimaginable treasures that we have been given through the loving kindness of Almighty God.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for every provision that we have been given on this earth. We give thanks and praise Your glorious name for the eternal provision given through Your Son, Jesus. We pray, Lord, that we will have thanksgiving in our hearts every single moment that we breathe. We ask that we will find joy in the many riches that You have provided, especially in the joy that You have provided through the treasure that is our families and our friends. May our joy and thanksgiving draw those around us to Your Son, Jesus, and the eternal provision that He holds for them. We ask all these things in the name of One worthy of all praise, Jesus Christ.

Letting God Handle Our Annoyances in the Courts of Heaven

Psalm 123:3
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

Every day the world around us seems to get more contentious and contemptuous. Webster defines contempt as “feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.” We see dramatic outpourings of contempt in the news and throughout social media. We certainly recognize the contempt that unbelievers often have for our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. As a result of the contempt that we encounter, hopefully we are quick to ask the Lord to open the eyes of those around us so that their scorn for us is replaced by a desire to learn from us the way, the truth and the life that we have in Jesus. But is that the case?

When we are out in the world, how are we reacting to those that annoy us? Are we taking an intercessory path or are we treating them with contempt? Are we losing our testimony because of an ugly glare or quick nasty comment that destroys our message of salvation? Are we leaving the world with a taste of our nasty attitude instead of the love of the One who we have accepted as Our Savior?

Let us be fully aware that the world is filled with contempt, but as Christians we are not of this world. Let us refuse to be swamped by the cares and challenges of life. Let us turn over the annoyances that we run into in the world and let God handle them in the courts of heaven. Let us ask the Lord to give us discernment in all things so that we are known by our intercession and not by our criticism. Let us exchange our contempt for others with our loving care for others.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy that You have extended to us so that we may be able to extend mercy to others. We praise the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator who stands for us to correct every wrong and every injury as any good master would do for his slave. We pray, Lord, that we will not faint under our trials in this world, but we will look unto the name of Jesus in faith and in prayer so that we may be vessels of His perfect love and forgiveness so that the world may know Him by our actions. We ask all these things in the name of Our Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ.

Joining Jesus in a Lifetime of Obedience

John 4:34
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Jesus Christ spent every day of His life on earth fueled by the desire to fulfill the work that He had been given by His Father. It was the Father’s will that all of His children could become heirs to His kingdom in heaven. The sacrificial death of Jesus was required for any man or woman to be deemed acceptable to claim the inheritance that the Father had prepared for them. Jesus took on the sin of all men on the Cross by divine decree. It was the reason that He came to earth. He faithfully completed the work that His Father gave Him to do.

His unimaginable accomplishment was crowned by His own words, “It is finished.” Through His perfect life and His atoning death, He glorified the Father and opened the way for all men to become heirs to the kingdom of Almighty God.

With His work complete, Jesus called on His disciples to join Him in fulfilling His Father’s plan for mankind. He warned them that they would suffer many trials in carrying out the Father’s will in their own lives. He explained that each of them would have to pick up their own crosses. He encouraged them by telling them that He was going to provide them with a helper to give them the strength that they would need to bring the salvation plan to all men. As it was with the disciples, Jesus is calling each of us to join Him in a lifetime of obedience to the will of Almighty God.

Let us cling to the Cross – the supernatural bridge that provides the only way to Our Father in heaven. Let us pick up our own crosses to do what is necessary so that we may help the world around us find the way, the truth and the life that is Jesus Christ. Let us be fueled by our desire to do the will of the Father.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to die on the Cross to atone for our sins. We exalt the name of Jesus who accepted His assignment on earth so that He might glorify Your name and open the way to heaven for all men. We pray, Father, that we may glorify Your name by faithfully completing every good work that You have set aside for us. In the name of Jesus, we ask for the grace to see and the strength to accept the things that You have called us to do so that others may see the way, the truth and the life that is Your Son, Jesus. We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb slain for our sin, Jesus Christ.

Created to Bring Glory to the Father

1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

God’s glory should be the reason for all that we do. Jesus is our model. In every doctrine that Jesus taught, in every miracle that He performed, in every suffering that He endured and certainly in His death, Jesus Christ lived unto the glory of His Father in heaven. He came to earth to do the work that the Father gave Him to do and He did it faithfully so that the Father would be glorified.

So too, we have all been called to serve Our Father in heaven here on earth. Everything that we do is ordained by God. Every portion of our lives, even our eating, drinking, walking and talking are all for His glory. But beyond our daily utilities, God has created each of us to serve Him in accordance to the plan that He has for our lives.

Most of us were not called to be theologians or full time ministers. Most of us were called to be secular laborers or laborers in our homes. For some of us, aside from our daily labor, the Lord has placed a calling on our lives for some type of spiritual service such as teaching a Bible study, singing in the choir, visiting prisons or assisted living facilities, etc. For most of the rest of us, our service beyond our daily labors may be quite simple service at the church we attend – child care, parking attendant, usher, etc. Again, all of these things are ordained by God for His glory and all are held in high esteem by Him.

Let us strive to find ways to join Jesus in doing the work of the Father. Let us find pleasure in all works, no matter how big or small they may be. Let all our works be done for the glory of Our Heavenly Father.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You allow the least of us in the least of ways to bring glory to Your name. We rejoice in knowing that You have created us for this purpose. We bless the name of Jesus who accepted His calling as Our Savior and fulfilled it completely to the end of His days on earth. We pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will guide us and inspire us in finding all the ways that You have planned for us to serve You. May our every act be consecrated by our holy motives to glorify You. We ask all these things in the name of Our Glorious Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Treasure of Mercy Offered to All

Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

When we think of forgiveness, we usually think of it in terms of how it plays out in our natural interactions with others. We may find it hard to forgive someone who has offended us, but we can usually find the mercy to forgive them under the right conditions. They come to us and express sufficient regret and express a sincere desire that they will never do it again. Conversely, we feel like we should be forgiven if we are willing to express our sorrow for the pain we have caused to another and we are willing to say we will not cause that harm again. In the natural, among people of good hearts, this process works much of the time.

Almighty God looks at forgiveness in a different light. He certainly requires the same natural interactions of forgiveness that we are familiar with. For God to forgive us, He requires us to come before Him humbly and confess our sins. For God to forgive us, He requires us to repent of our sins. But Our Father in heaven also requires supernatural interaction. Because of His holiness, we cannot approach Him with our expressions of sorrow and repentance unless we have accepted Jesus as Our Savior. For Our Savior must first approach the Father as Our Mediator. He must identify us as ones who have been cleansed by His atoning blood. In the supernatural, under these conditions, this process works every time without fail.

Let us repent of every sin and iniquity in our lives. Let us ask Our Lord to forgive us with true contriteness in our hearts. Let us rejoice as we are washed clean of every blemish that separates us from Our Father in heaven. Let us praise the name of Our Redeemer who saved us through the richness of His grace.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect, unconditional love and the mercy plan for forgiveness that You have provided through Your Son, Jesus. We bless the name of Jesus for making it possible for us to come before You with our confessions and our desire to repent of our sins. We rejoice in knowing that Our Savior stands before You as Our Mediator and that His atoning blood covers us so that we are acceptable to receive Your forgiveness. We pray, Lord, that we will always be mindful of what it cost You to reinstate us in Your favor. May the world around us see us in the light of Your favor and be drawn to Your Son to receive the same treasure. We ask all these things in the name of Our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

He Perfects His Strength in Our Weakness

John 8:34
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

In Ephesians, Paul taught that before we accepted Our Savior that we all once walked the course of the world, following the spirit that is at work in the lives of the disobedient. Through the teachings of Paul and John in the Holy Word, we learn that Jesus is the only way that we can attain freedom from the slavery of sin that we have been born into.

It is through Jesus Christ that we have victory over our sins. Once we have accepted Jesus as Our Savior, He comes to dwell within us. With the presence of His Holy Spirit within us, we are set free from the bonds of slavery of sin. Sin is no longer the ruler in our house, Jesus Christ is.

Because our freedom of choice is never taken away, our flesh constantly battles to take control over our lives and Satan constantly works to deceive us in an effort to make us slaves to sin again. But Jesus Christ stands with us and, in accordance with His promises, He perfects His strength in our weaknesses and He provides victory over all evil. He provides all that we need to overcome our sins.

Let us seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we face the challenges associated with our walk of sanctification. Let us choose to submit to the urgings of the Holy Spirit each time our flesh and the enemy try to take us off our pathway to holiness. Let rejoice in our victory over sin through Jesus Christ as we strive to be holy as Our Savior is holy.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your perfect love that provided Your Son to free us from the slavery of sin. We praise the name of Jesus for taking on all sin so that we may become heirs to Your holy kingdom. We ask forgiveness for all the times that we have chosen to offend You through our sins. We repent of these sins and ask for the fullness of the promise of Jesus to perfect His strength in our weakness. We pray for the grace to surrender today and live forever as bond servants to Our Savior. We ask all these things in the precious, holy and mighty name of Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

God’s Response to How We Manage What We Have Been Given

Luke 16:10
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

While it is generally understood that this passage is about the poor money management of the underperforming steward, it also places focus on every resource that we have been given. The message can be taken down to the very basic level of how obedient we are in carrying out even the smallest of tasks that the Lord has put on our hearts to do.

As a parent or employer, the assessment of how our children or employees carry out their tasks is the basis for our decisions concerning assigning them greater responsibilities in the future. As a good parent or good employer, we want the best for those under our care. We want to see them succeed. Because we view their position from a higher level, we know that we should only give them greater responsibility when they have shown that they are ready to handle it.

It is in this same way that Almighty God gives us more of anything, whether it be material things or greater responsibility. Everything that we have belongs to God. We only have the use of it. He will only bless us to the extent that we have proven through our obedience that we are ready to handle more than He has already provided.

Let us learn service from the Son of God. Let us go to the Father before acting on anything. Let us carry out His will for our lives through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. Let us gain much by being good stewards of what we have been given and by being obedient in the smallest of things.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your loving patience with us as we struggle to properly manage all that You have given us. We ask forgiveness for the times that we have squandered the gifts that we have been provided. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in being good stewards of our blessings. We rejoice in knowing that with every act of obedience that You are ready to graciously release more to us. We pray, Father, that we will come to a place where we are obedient in every small thing that You place before us. May our eyes be opened that we may see Your ways, and not our own, in all that surrounds us. We ask all these things in the name of the source of all provision, Jesus Christ.

Considering God’s Perspective on What We are Doing

1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

We are too often focused on getting everything we can out of life from a physical and material standpoint. In fact, we are so focused on the material things that we often do not take a moment to consider God’s perspective of what we are doing, how we are doing it, or why we are doing it. Even in our ministries, we often get caught up in the numbers. Our focus turns toward man’s measurement of what we are doing and not God’s.

In God’s eyes, it is not about how much or how many. God takes full responsibility for the bottom line. What He is concerned about it is the “how” and “why” behind our efforts. Are we leaning on Him for our accomplishments and not on our own abilities or the capabilities of the world? Are we doing what we are doing for our own personal gain and recognition or are we doing it for the gain of God’s kingdom and for His glory?

Our model for life is Our Savior. Through His obedience, His suffering and His death, He lived to make intercession for us. He lived in accordance with the will of His Father. He lived to bring glory to His Father in heaven.

Let us repent of seeking what the world has to offer ahead of what God is offering us. Let us get off the fence. Let us focus completely on Almighty God in all things, big or small. Let us bring honor to Our Heavenly Father with our every action.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us living proof of Your ways through Your Son, Jesus. We bless His name for the way, the truth and the life that He revealed to us through His time on earth. We pray, Lord, that You will prepare us to walk this earth in the same manner as Our Savior. May we love You above all things. May we seek You in all things. May we love our neighbors unconditionally as we love ourselves. May it all be for Your glory. We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.

Receiving the Honor that Almighty God Bestows on Jesus’ Disciples

John 12:26
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

How is it possible that Almighty God would honor His lowly creations from dust? As unimaginable as it seems to us, it is settled in the kingdom of God. The process for such an honor is locked into place for all eternity. The steps are clearly defined. Become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Serve Him wherever and whenever He calls. Be honored by the Father.

Simple enough, right? At least it would seem so. But for most of us, we have some social hurdles to overcome. We were raised to be fiercely independent. That trait, while desirable in the carnal world, can have a negative impact on how we are able to build intimacy with God. The true intimacy of a Holy Spirit lead lifestyle is not possible until we are able to completely surrender our lives to Jesus.

Anything short of full surrender to Jesus will lead to a life on the fence – half devoted to being a disciple of Jesus Christ and half devoted to the callings of the world. When we are in that vacillating position, we are spiritually immature. That is not the real life that God has planned for us. God wants a spiritually mature life for us and from us. He wants us to reach a place where we make every decision in life with discernment of the Holy Spirit. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be fully committed disciples of His Son, conscious of our dependence on Him without regard to the trappings of our world.

Let us take full advantage of our salvation. Let us become faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice as we receive the honor that Almighty God bestows on those that become bond servants of His Son.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing Your Son, Jesus, so that we can stay in constant communion with Him and receive grace from Him. We rejoice in knowing that we receive honor from You when we follow Your Son and accept the gift of salvation that He offers. We ask forgiveness, Lord, for all the times that we make decisions based on the world’s standards and not Yours. We pray, Father, that You will provide the grace that we need to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit only. We ask for the strength and the wisdom to lay aside the trifling concerns of this life. May we learn to exercise love, humility, patience, self-denial and resignation to Your will in the same manner as Our Savior did when He walked this earth. May the eternal glory be Yours. We ask all these things in the name of Our Refiner and Purifier, Jesus Christ.

An Infallible Resource to Overcome Our Frailties

Deuteronomy 30:16
If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Who does not wish to live and be blessed in the land where they dwell? Almighty God placed these desires in all of our hearts and provided simple instructions for us to attain them – obey My commandments.

All simple and easy enough, right? Well, our all knowing, sovereign God added an interesting wrinkle for us to deal with. He gave us free choice. He allows us to find the unique purpose and plan that He has for our lives through the choices that we make. Unfortunately, more times than we would like to admit to we make the wrong choices. In the flesh, we are ill equipped to make the right choices all the time.

Knowing the inherent weakness in our flesh, our all loving and merciful God included an infallible resource to help us overcome our frailties. He provided through our acceptance of His Son, Jesus, as Our Savior, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provides us with supernatural assistance in making our choices. The Holy Spirit provides us with gentle urgings toward the path of obedience and clear stop signs when we are veering off the path.

As we learn to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit, our life choices come more into alignment with God’s commandments. The good and right way become more clearly defined in our minds and hearts. Ultimately, our choices will be the same as God’s choices for us. Ultimately through our obedience, we will experience the blessed life that God has set aside for us.

Let us rejoice in knowing that God has provided a Comforter to come along side of us to aid us in making our life choices. Let us heed the urgings of the Holy Spirit as we position ourselves through obedience to receive all the blessings that Our Heavenly Father promises us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings that You promise us if we are obedient to You. We confess our sins that separate us from You and repent of them so that the blessings that have been set aside for us can be released. We rejoice in knowing that You have provided victory for us over our sins through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. We bless His name. We thank You for providing supernatural assistance for us as we make our life choices. We pray that You will open our ears to hear the urgings of the Holy Spirit. We ask for the grace to respond in obedience. We ask all these things in the name of the Lamb without blemish, Jesus Christ.