Rest in the Lord

Comment: A good night's sleep often provides a refreshed outlook. It might help us feel better prepared for the day that lies ahead. Setting aside time to rest in the Lord will provide much more then preparation. It will provide peace.

Verse: Psalms 37

¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
         Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
 ² For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
         And wither as the green herb.
        
 ³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
         Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
 ⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
         And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
        
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
         Trust also in Him,
         And He shall bring it to pass.
 ⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
         And your justice as the noonday.
        
 ⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
         Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
         Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
 ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
         Do not fret—it only causes harm.
        
 ⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off;
         But those who wait on the LORD,
         They shall inherit the earth.
 ¹⁰ For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
         Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,
         But it shall be no more.
 ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the earth,
         And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 

A Perceptive Heart

Comment: Forgiveness, mercy, and truth should be an important foundation of our lives. We must be perceptive in recognizing when our actions fail to reflect the love of Jesus Christ. Our habits should rely on obedience and submission to the word of God.

Verse: I John 3


 ¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ¹⁹This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
 ²¹Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²²and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. ²³And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

In His Presence

Comment: We have so much for which to be thankful. God has demonstrated over and over again that His blessings will surpass our expectations. Our challenge is to remain faithful, humble, and obedient.

Verse: Psalms 68:3 - 6

³ But let the godly rejoice.
      Let them be glad in God’s presence.
      Let them be filled with joy.
 ⁴ Sing praises to God and to his name!
      Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
   His name is the Lord—
      rejoice in his presence!
 ⁵ Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
      this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
 ⁶ God places the lonely in families;
      he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
   But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

The Right Time

Comment: Do we really understand how much the Lord cares for us? He asks us to place all our cares upon Him. Too often, we make the mistake of trying to apply our own remedies to challenges that can only be solved through God's intervention. We should remember that any time is the right time to place our complete faith and trust in the power of God's grace.

Verse: 1 Peter 5

⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
 ⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters^[b] all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
 ¹⁰ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹ All power to him forever! Amen.

Rich in Grace

Comment: There is nothing we can do to earn our way into God's grace besides accept the gift of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for our sins. As if that were not enough, we are promised a seat at the table with Christ, because we are made new through his tremendous gift of grace. The least we can do is try our best to demonstrate to others the power of God's mercy.

Verse: Ephesians 2

 ⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
 ⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.