In love He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will. Ephesians 1:4-5 HCSB Every day of our lives - indeed, every moment of our lives - we are embraced by God. He is always with us, and His love for us is deeper and more profound than we can imagine.
Gloria Gaither observed,"Being loved by Him whose opinion matters most gives us the security to risk loving, too - even loving ourselves." Lisa Whelchel had this advice: "Believing that you are loved will set you free to be who God created you to be. So rest in His love and just be yourself." Let those words serve as a powerful reminder: you are a marvelous, glorious being, created by a loving God Who wants you to become - completely and without reservation - the person He created you to be.
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Peace, peace to you, and peace to him who helps you, for your God helps you. - 1 Chronicles 12:18 HCSB Through His Son, God offers a "peace that passes all understanding," but He does not force His peace upon us. God's peace is a blessing that we, as children of a loving Father, must claim for ourselves... but sometimes we are slow to do so. Why? Because we are fallible human beings with limited understanding and limited faith.
Have you found the lasting peace that can be yours through Jesus, or are you still rushing after the illusion of "peace and happiness" that the world promises but cannot deliver? Today, as a gift to yourself, to your family, and to your friends, claim the inner peace that is your spiritual birthright: the peace of Jesus Christ. Where the soul is full of peace and joy, outward surroundings and circumstances are of comparatively little account. The sensible see danger and take cover; the foolish keep going and are punished. There is no doubt. Your world is changing constantly. So today's question is this: How will you manage all those changes? Will you do your best and trust God with the rest, or will you spend fruitless hours worrying about things you can't control, while doing precious little else? The answer to these simple questions will help determine the direction and quality of your life.
The best way to confront change is head on... and with God by your side. The same God who created the universe will protect you if you ask Him, so ask Him - and then serve Him with willing hands and a trusting heart. When you do, you may rest assured that while the world changes moment by moment, God's love endures - unfathomable and unchanging - forever. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. - Romans 15:2 NKJV We live in a world that glorifies power, prestige, fame and money. But the words of Jesus teach us that the most esteemed men and women in this world are not the self-congratulatory leaders of society but are instead the humblest of servants.
Today, you may feel the temptation to build yourself up in the eyes of your neighbors. Resist that temptation. Instead, serve your neighbors quietly and without fanfare. Find a need and fill it... humbly. Lend a helping hand... anonymously. Share a word of kindness... with quiet sincerity. As you go about your daily activities, remember that the Savior of all humanity made Himself a servant, and we, as His followers, must do no less. Jesus never asks us to give Him what we don't have. But He does demand that we give Him all we do have if we want to be a part of what He wishes to do in the lives of those around us! The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the treacherous destroys them. - Proverbs 11:3 HCSB The Bible makes it clear that God rewards integrity just as surely as He punishes duplicity. So, if we seek to earn the kind of lasting rewards that God bestows upon those who obey His commandments, we must make honesty the hallmark of our dealings with others.
Character is built slowly over a lifetime. Character is the sum of every right decision, every honest word, every noble thought and every heartfelt prayer. It is built upon a foundation of industry, generosity and humility. Character is a precious thing - difficult to build but easy to tear down. As believers in Christ, we must seek to live each day with discipline, honesty and faith. When we do, integrity becomes a habit. And God smiles. To all the fathers/dads who are always there, this is for you. To all the mothers that are stepping in as both mother and father, this is for you.
Lord, please take care of all the fathers/dads. Though they are often brave and protective, you know they are frightened sometimes. When money runs low and the family needs things and it's a struggle to provide, bless them and be their guide. Lord, when their hearts break because they can't do it all, mend their hearts, don't let them fall, give them strength through it all. Please help us to let them know how much they are loved and show them how much You love them. Happy Father's Day! Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. - Proverbs 11:28 HCSB In the demanding world we live, financial prosperity can be a good thing, but spiritual prosperity is profoundly more important. Yet our society leads us to believe otherwise. The world glorifies material possessions, personal fame, and physical beauty above all else; these things, of course, are totally unimportant to God. God sees the human heart, and that's what is important to Him.
As you establish your priorities for the coming day, remember this: The world will do everything it can to convince you that "things" are important. The world will tempt you to value fortune above faith and possessions above peace. God, on the other hand, will try to convince you that your relationship with Him is all-important. Trust God. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. - Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 HCSB Every life, including yours, is a tapestry of choices. And the quality of your life depends, to a surprising extent, on the quality of the choices you make. Would you like to enjoy a life of abundance and significance? If so, you must make choices that are pleasing to God.
From the instant you wake up in the morning until the moment you nod off to sleep at night, you make lots of decisions: decisions about the things you do, decisions about the words you speak, and decisions about the thoughts you choose to think. Today and every day, it's up to you (and only you) to make wise choices, choices that enhance your relationship with God. After all, He deserves no less than your best ... and so do you. Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him. - Psalm 37:7 HCSB Are you so busy that you rush through the day with scarcely a single moment for quiet contemplation and prayer? If so, it's time to reorder your priorities.
We live in a noisy world, a world filled with distractions, frustrations, and complications. But if we allow the distractions of a clamorous world to separate us from God's peace, we do ourselves a profound disservice. If we are to maintain righteous minds and compassionate hearts, we must take time each day for prayer and for meditation. We must make ourselves still in the presence of our Creator. We must quiet our minds and our hearts so that we might sense God's will, God's love, and God's Son. Nothing is more important than the time you spend with your Savior. So be still and claim the inner peace that is your spiritual birthright: the peace of Jesus Christ. It is offered freely; it has been paid for in full; it is yours for the asking. So ask. Mother's Day comes once a year. Some think that if they buy their mother flowers and a card that they have fulfilled their obligation for the rest of the year. If we only comprehended a 10th of what our mothers did for us as children, and how they would literally die for us if needed, we would realize that one day is not sufficient. Mothers Day should be a time to remind us that we have been neglecting our duties as sons and daughters. This relationship is sacred let us honor our mothers.
So today, honor all those women that have been a mother to you at some point in your life. Call them, talk to them, make them feel special, but don't do it just for today, do it all through the year. Enjoy your mothers today and celebrate the women who have nurtured and comforted you. Happy Mother's Day!! |
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