Love well

​S-Galatians5:  13-15 NIV

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

O- Paul's epistle to the church in Galatia was written to teach and lift up the Galatians who likely had some internal strife within the church.   Their humanity was not meant to condemn them but rather Paul wrote to help them avoid heading down and path that would lead to the destruction of the church.  Paul reminds them they were called to be free, but that freedom wasn't meant to indulge themselves but rather to serve one another , humbly with love.   Paul echoes the commandment that fullfill's the law that Jesus once answered the Pharisee's when question.  To love your neighbor as yourself will leave you on the right side with others and with God. 

A -  The application for me is to acknowledge the freedom I have in Christ, and use this fact to humbly love those around me.   I am to avoid biterness and backstabbing to those around me.  By learning to love my neighbor as myself I will keep focused on those in need around me and not focused on myself. 

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you would help me love others well.  Help me to turn my focus away from my needs and wants and to place it on those around me who need to know your love through me.  I pray this in Jesus Christ name, Amen

Great commission

​S-Mark 16:15-18 NIV

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

O - Jesus after his resurrection came to see his disciples before his ascention to heaven.  He gives them his great commission, to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Just as it was with him, people will be healed and saved if they believe in the gospel and are baptized.   Many signs will accompany those disciples who are bringing the good news to the unsaved: they will drive out demons, speak in new tongues, and pick up snakes, and drink poison without being hurt.  They will lay hands on the sick and they will get well. 

A - The application for me is to have faith in the same great commission and accompanying power is available to me.  I have been saved and baptized and am no longer condemned but saved by grace.  I am to to walk by faith sharing the good news  of what Christ has done for me.   I am to pray for those who do not yet know him and share with them God's unending grace. 

P - Dear heavenly father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I thank you for your amazing grace, and ask that you show me where and when I am to bring the gospel to those around me.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.

Love is the answer

​S-Mark 12:29-31

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”

O - Jesus here answer's the question of one of the Pharisee's as to which of God's commandment is the greatest.  Jesus answers them with the words to love is the greatest commandment.  First and foremost is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and then love your neighbor as yourself.   If we focus on these we will find ourselves right with the Lord because all of our thoughts and actions will be directed to loving God.   Our love for others will prevent us from sinning against others and spreading God's love to all those we interact with.

A - The application for me is to put my full effort into loving God with all my heart, mind, soul and stregnth.  To focus my attention and energy on loving Him from the time I wake to the time I sleep. I must also posture myself to love my neighbors with the love of Christ.  

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I pray you show me your way to love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength and how to love my neighbor as myself.  I pray this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Entering God's kingdom

​S-Mark10:24-27 NIV

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

O - Jesus says this parable after the rich man comes to him asking what he needs to do to inherit eternity.  Jesus told him to follow the law of moses to which he claimed to have followed since he was a child.  Then Jesus told him to take and sell all of his stuff and give everything to the poor and follow him. Jesus then tell's his disciples that it easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  The disciples then asked then who can be saved.  Jesus said things are impossible with man are possible with God and therefore even a rich man can enter the kingdom if he follows God.

A -  The application for me is to seek God and my salvation through Jesus. I need to lay down my need for earthly treasures and seek kingdom treasures.  I must focus on my relationship with God and seek his will first and trust in him for all other needs.  

P - Dear heavenly father thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for you to reveal you kingdom to me and show me the way to enter it.  I pray for your provision to be enough to satisfy my needs and worries.  I pray all of this in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Submit to God

S- Job 22:21-27 NIV

“Submit to God and be at peace with him;
    in this way prosperity will come to you.
22 Accept instruction from his mouth
    and lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:
    If you remove wickedness far from your tent
24 and assign your nuggets to the dust,
    your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,
    the choicest silver for you.

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty
    and will lift up your face to God.
27 You will pray to him, and he will hear you,
    and you will fulfill your vows.

O - These words from one of Jobs friends are speaking to Job about the posture he should take in his circumstances which seem grim.  Job is to submit to God and be at peace with him first.   Accepting instruction for God and lay up God's words in his heart.  If He turns toward God he will be restored, if he removes wickedness from his surrounding and trade your gold for the treasure of the almighty God.   If He does all of these things he will find delight in God and once again lift up his face to God.  He will pray to God and God will hear him and he will fulfill his vows.

A - The application for me is to be like Job's friend describes to Job the way back to being in alignment with God.  First I am to submit myself to God and be at peace with God.  When I submitt to Him I am to listen for his instruction and put His words into my heart.  I need to turn away from my wandering ways and turn toward God obediently following his guidance and direction.  I am to remove wickedness and laziness from arond me and trade in my earthly treasure for heavenly treasures.  I will lift up my face God and delight in Him,  praying to him all my needs.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me to turn my face to you and pray.  I pray for a internal motivation to restore my relationship with you and to know and feel your presence.  I pray for wisdom and discernment on how I am to work toward my recovery from addiction and how I am to financially move forward.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen

Doing God's will

​s-Mark 3:31-35 NIV

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

O - Here we see as Jesus ministry is growing and more and more people are following and pressing in on Him,  He is forming a distinct relationship with his disciples.   He is sitting down amongst the crowd when his mother and brothers arrive and are seeking to be with Jesus.  Jesus reveals that his relationship with those close to Him , who are following Him and doing the will of the Father are now like mother, brother, and sister to him. 

A - The application for me is to seek to do the will of the Father.   Jesus came to die for my sins and restore the relationship with God the Father.   I am to do His will for my life and become his true son.  

P - Dear Heavenly Father thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord you help me do your will for my life and be worthy to be called your son.  I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen. 

Light in the darkness

​S-Job 17:11-12 NIV

11 My days have passed, my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart
12 turn night into day;
    in the face of the darkness light is near.

O- Job here is speaking to himself to uplift his spirits in the midst of a very challenging set of circumstances.  He could feel defeated and hopeless but shows here rather than wallowing in a pit of despair to focus on not his shattered plans but on the desires of his heart. It is in this turning to what he deeply desires that the light returns and brightens his way.  It is a reminder that even in darkness ,  light is near.

A -  The application for me is to recognize that in my darkness ,  the light is near.  The light is God and his plans for me.  These future plans and path are to bring hope where there is despair and peace where there is pain.  My job is to focus on the light of God and not on the darkness of my sin and despair.

P - Dear heavenly Father thank  you for today's lesson may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord for a clear vision of your light in my darkness.  Help me to see your light in my path and to see your ways over my ways.  I pray this in Jesus Christ name,  Amen.