Whatever

...do whatever you would like to do, because God is with you. ~ 1 Samuel 10:7b (CEB)

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. ~ Colossians 3:17 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

We are often given the freedom to make our own decisions about what to do, assuming that we're informed by the mind of Christ and are acting to represent him.

PRAYER:

Thank you, Lord, for giving us the freedom to make choices. You have included us in your plan -- not as robotic soldiers but as your image-bearing people making actual decisions on your behalf. I admit that I don't always make good decisions, but you include me anyway. Please give me wisdom so that I can act like someone whom you are with -- someone who represents Christ Jesus well through word and deed. Amen.

Your protector never slumbers

God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. ~ Psalm 121:3 (CEB)

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, “You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?” ~ Matthew 14:31 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

Don't give in to doubt because the Lord is a reliable protector.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you again, for watching out for me. I confess that sometimes I get distracted by the circumstances around me and lose sight of you. I begin to slip. But you always seem to intervene in some way. Save me from my doubts and refresh my faith so that I can continue walking on water. Amen.

Hope for the Future

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

There is hope for your future,” says the Lord. ~ Jeremiah 31:17a (NLT)

His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” ~ John 9:8 (NLT)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord gives us hope for the future.

PRAYER:

Lord, I'm so grateful that you're concerned about the future. Like many of my neighbors, I live for today. But unlike them, I do it because the future scares me. I hear the crazy things that our leaders say and the way that people with money and responsibility act. Those things do not instill confidence about what is coming. Help me to rest in your promises and to trust that you are full of healing. We need it. I need it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Crazy world!

Who was it that made this happen? Who has determined the course of history? I, the Lord, was there at the beginning, and I, the Lord, will be there at the end. ~ Isaiah 41:4 (GNT)

God’s power was at work in Christ when God raised him from the dead and sat him at God’s right side in the heavens, far above every ruler and authority and power and angelic power, any power that might be named not only now but in the future. ~ Ephesians 1:20-21 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

In spite of the craziness in our world, our powerful God is and will remain in control.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead. For me everything makes sense because of that. But I still struggle to have faith when I see how insane the world has become. I have difficulty in believing that given the direction things are going, that they will all work out well. But I am choosing to trust you anyway. Help me in my struggle. Amen.