OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD

ISAIAH 5:20 (GNT)
You are doomed! You call evil good and call good evil. You turn darkness into light and light into darkness.

ROMANS 12:21 (NLT)
Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

THE ESSENCE
Evil calls its actions good. However, we conquer this kind of corruption by doing real good.

DAILY FODDER
Can you think of any contemporary examples of evil masquerading as good? Do you ever find yourself justifying something as wrong by saying that it ends up creating more good or that it is the lesser of two evils? How do we get past this kind of nonsense?

PRAYER
You are holy, God, and I am not. Too often, I succumb to old, sinful ways. Forgive me for ignoring or excusing my attitudes and behaviors. Thank you for forgiving me. Help me to make clear moral choices between good and evil. I want to live in your light, overcoming evil with good. Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

WITH HOPE

PSALM 62:5 (ABP)
My restlessness is gone because I'm only waiting for God to act, as he certainly will. 

TITUS 2:13 (NLT)
We look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

THE ESSENCE
Our lives revolve around this hope we hold, that when Christ Jesus is revealed in all his glory, the restoration of the world will be complete.

DAILY FODDER
How is a life lived "with hope" different from a life that is just getting by? 

PRAYER
Faithful God, we're grateful for the promised final revelation of our Savior Christ Jesus. Forgive us for holding on to so many short-term possibilities that all seem to unravel with time. Help us to fix our hope on you alone and to live with the confidence that flows from such hope. I'm not going to let the evil, the unfairness, and the deterioration of the world rattle me because I believe with all my heart that you're in the process of restoring all creation. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

GOD FREELY SACRIFICES

ISAIAH 53:5 (GNT)
But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did.

ROMANS 8:32 (MSG)
If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? 

THE ESSENCE
God freely sacrifices for us.

DAILY FODDER
If God would sacrifice his own Son for us, what makes you think that he's not on your side? Sometimes things don't work out the way we think they should, but we can relax knowing that God is undoubtedly on our side, working things out to our best benefit in his own way. 

PRAYER
Good and gracious God, you gave up your Son to be wounded and crushed for my iniquities. I regret giving in to my sinful nature. Thank you for providing forgiveness and everything else I need. I invite your Spirit to help me grow in faith and become more Christlike. Use my life to express your goodness and grace.  Amen. (Daily Texts, Ground Up Grace edition)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

JESUS SAVES

The 3rd Sunday of Advent 

PSALM 28:1 (CEB)
I cry out to you, Lord.
You are my rock; don’t refuse to hear me.

LUKE 7:7 (CEB)
The Roman centurion, speaking to Jesus: Just say the word and my servant will be healed.

THE ESSENCE
Jesus, God-in-the-flesh, hears and responds to our cries for help. 

DAILY FODDER
It's interesting that while so many of Jesus' own people were rejecting him, a leader of the occupying Roman army figured out that he could turn to Jesus to request healing for his servant. And he was humble enough to tell Jesus that it didn't require a personal visit. Faith pops up in surprising places. 

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you are the rock we can turn to in our moment of need.  Forgive us for making faith way more complicated than it is. Listen to me as I tell you my greatest need today. I'm going to continue to trust that you're  listening and responding. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.