STRENGTH BUILDING

1 SAMUEL 2:2 (MSG)
Nothing and no one is holy like God,
no rock mountain like our God.

EPHESIANS 6:10 (GNT)
Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power.

THE ESSENCE
It's presumptuous to assume power apart from a connection with the Lord and his power.

DAILY FODDER
What does it look like, practically speaking, to "build up your strength in union with the Lord"?

PRAYER
I am grateful, God, that no one can match your holiness—your strength. No adversary can thwart you or those in solidarity with you. Forgive my weak moments when I attempt to muster strength to meet the challenges of life on my own. I'm too much of an independent operator. Strengthen my connection with you and the outflow of your power in my life so that I can honor 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.

MATURING LIVES

JEREMIAH 7:3 (ABP)
"Clean up you act," says GOD, "So we can live together in harmony."

2 PETER 1:5-7 (MSG)
So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others.

THE ESSENCE
Genuine faith always matures into rich goodness and practical love for people. 

DAILY FODDER
If faith in Christ is enough (Galatians 2:16), how is it that faith somehow needs to be completed with all these other qualites? 

PRAYER
How thankful I am, dear Lord, that your divine power gives me all I need for life and godliness. Forgive my unwillingness to reform my ways. I need your Spirit to develop your goodness in me. Work in me to support my faith with goodness, knowledge, godliness, and love. Make me a willing and effective disciple. 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.

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.