God's steadfast love

You will drain the wealth
     of kings and foreign nations.
You will know that I,
     the mighty Lord God of Israel,
          have saved and rescued you.
~ Isaiah 60:16 (CEV)

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? ~ Romans 8:35 (NLT)

SUMMARY SENTENCE

God's steadfast love meets all our needs.

PRAYER

Steadfast God, nothing can break the grip of your love. You rescue us. You provide more than we need. Yet, we doubt when times get even a little tough. Steady my spirit so that I can lean into you and all that you are doing to take care of us. I'm going to face the challenges ahead with the confidence that comes from the love of Christ. Amen.

Seeds for righteousness

As a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness 

     into full bloom and puts praise on display 

     before the nations.
~ Isaiah 61:11 (MSG)

People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right-living. ~ James 3:18 (CEV)

SUMMARY SENTENCE

God grows the seeds of peaceful actions into justice and righteousness.

PRAYER

God, thank you for holding out the hope of a better world. I'm committed to that, although I confess that I don't always work for peace in a peaceful way. I so easily get sucked into the power plays and positioning. Plant whole peace -- the peace that Christ brings to a broken and doomed world -- plant it deep into my heart. I'm going to pursue your agenda in your way. Amen.

The power of God's word

God issues a command to the earth, and in a nanosecond the planet obeys him. ~ Psalm 147:15 (ABP)

God's word isn't shackled. ~ 2 Timothy 2:9b (ABP)

SUMMARY SENTENCE:

Don't underestimate the power of God's word.

PRAYER

God, you send forth your living message to a struggling world. Sometimes the problems feel so overwhelming that I give in to discouragement. Help me to catch a fresh glimpse of the power of your word and what you are accomplishing in the midst of the craziness. I'm going to act with boldness, living according to your living word. Amen.

Generous God

You bring the year to a close with huge crops. ~ Psalm 65:11a (NIRV)

Every good and perfect gift is from God. This kind of gift comes down from the Father who created the heavenly lights. These lights create shadows that move. But the Father does not change like these shadows. ~ James 1:17 (NIRV)

SUMMARY SENTENCE

God is incredibly generous.

PRAYER

Thank you God for being a giver. Your kind of generosity is so contrary to the human experience. Whenever I give I'm totally mindful of how I might benefit from my generosity. But you produce crops that you'll never eat. Help me to become selflessly generous so that my life is totally lined up with that of our all-giving Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.