ACCOUNTABILITY

ISAIAH 45:24 (ABP)
    All who have ranted and raved against GOD will be put to shame when they have to answer to him.

MARK 14:61-62 (NLT)
    Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
    Jesus said, “I AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

SUMMARY SENTENCE
There is no avoiding divine accountability.

DAILY FODDER
The good news is that all who partner with Jesus will be able to claim his righteousness as their own at the point of accountability.

PRAYER
Almighty God, there is no escaping your powerful judgment. We pretend that what we do has no real consequence. Forgive us for that insult and help us to find relief through the righteousness of the resurrected Christ. Thank you for his advocacy on our behalf. I'm going to move forward with confidence, according to his ways, because I trust him. 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.

THE FUTURE

PSALM 126:1 (MSG)
   It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,
when GOD returned Zion’s exiles.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:8, 12 (MSG)
   Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over someday; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete...
   We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

SUMMARY SENTENCE
How we relate to God now is incomplete but someday we'll be relating on a level that we can only dream of now.

DAILY FODDER
What do you dream of asking God?

PRAYER
We struggle, God, to take in your loving and generous nature. We can only imagine what it will be like to be more fully in your presence. Prepare us now for what's coming. We want to live eternally confidently in your presence, trusting fully in the sacrifice and life of Jesus. We can only imagine what all that means but we are trusting you to prepare us for the future. 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.

REFRESHING WORD

DEUTERONOMY 32:46-47 (MSG)
When Moses had finished saying all these words to all Israel, he said, "Take to heart all these words to which I give witness today... Yes. This is no small matter for you; it’s your life."

JOHN 6:63 (MSG)
The Spirit can make life. Sheer muscle and willpower don’t make anything happen. Every word I’ve spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Take God's life-giving word to heart.

DAILY FODDER
What habits are you developing in your life that keep you connected to God's word?

PRAYER
Lifegiving Spirit, come dwell in the depths of my heart. Thank you for revealing the divine love of God through Jesus. I am sorry when I trust in myself rather than resting on your never-failing grace. Refresh my faith as you sweep through every moment of my life in you. 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.

DIVINE ENCOUNTERS BY DIVINE DESIGN

PROVERBS 20:12 (CEB)
   Ears to hear and eyes to see—
the Lord made them both.

ACTS 8:30-31 (NLT)
   Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
   The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
God truly sets us up to encounter him. 

DAILY FODDER
Describe a moment when you felt that God had set you up to experience his grace.

PRAYER
Awesome God, I enjoy the divine suprises you've created in my life. Forgive me for missing some of them because I'm too busy or too set in my expectations regarding your mode of operation. Break through my brain fog with a fresh word. Reshape my outlook so that I'm ready to take on the next phase of my life—whether here or there with you. 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.