Let’s start by debunking the myth: nowhere in Scripture does God promise us a perfect life, free from troubles. In fact, many times in the Bible, Christ’s followers were persecuted, attacked, or faced with various troubles.
In his message to the believers of the first century, James informs them of the various trials that they must go through in life:
“Happy is the person who faces temptations and remains steadfast, because if he overcomes them, he will receive the crown of eternal life, which God promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12
When we see trials as a way to become more like Jesus, then we will be blessed by them.
Perhaps you will remember a difficult period of life. Looking back, you may see how God cleansed you because of it. God is often at work behind the scenes, deepening our character and expanding our abilities, even when we can’t see it.
You may be going through one of those tough times right now. Take this passage to heart! You can persevere, knowing that we are promised a reward in heaven. Although rewards on this side of heaven are not promised, looking toward our final destination with Jesus gives us hope to endure the trials of the present.
If you are going through a difficult time in your life, spend some time thinking about God’s promises. He promises to never leave you or forsake you, but to walk with you through trials. And at the end of the trial, you will be more like Christ.
Take a moment to thank God for His faithfulness and love in your life.
Where did the idea of a seven-day week come from? Throughout history, different peoples have experimented with changing the number of days in the week, but the most stable pattern of work and rest for man is the one created by God.
When God first created the world, He completed everything He wanted in six days. He could be moving on to the next project on his to-do list, but instead God is intentionally resting and enjoying His creation. This is the standard mode of work and rest created for us from the beginning.
The way we create and produce reflects that we are made in His image and likeness. Like God, we create things and give them names. We work and then rest. When we intentionally stop working to enjoy the blessing of simply being in relationship with God, each other, and His creation, we also reflect His image.
When God rests, it does not indicate laziness or weariness from work. From the very beginning, God models a rhythm of work followed by rest and reflection. Instead of pausing because we are tired or when we finally finish our long list of projects, God asks us to schedule time for rest each week.
When you need to know when it’s time to take a break, choose the rhythms of our Creator, not the routine caused by fatigue. He intends to bless you.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life’s challenges? If so, you are not alone. It’s no secret that this world is full of both good and bad.
King David, whose life is described in various parts of the Old Testament, was very accustomed to problems – enemies that constantly threatened him and the reality of imminent death.
But, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he wrote:
“Trouble may befall a righteous person, but the Lord will save him from them.” Psalm 34:20
If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that God is alive, active, and always present in your life…even in the most difficult circumstances of your life.
But who is this “righteous one” that David speaks of in this psalm, when other places in the Bible say that “there is none righteous, not even one”? (Romans 3:10, Psalm 13:3). There is a way to understand this seeming contradiction:
Righteousness cannot be achieved, but it can be earned.
If we believe in God and also in His Son Jesus Christ (Who gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we could live), then we believe that His righteousness is also transferred to us.
Simply put, a righteous person is one who relies on the righteousness of God.
Seems unfair, doesn’t it? But this is grace. Only by grace, through faith, can you and I be considered righteous. You cannot earn or buy it.
Therefore, when we face difficulties, we can expect God to reveal Himself in many different ways. Not because we are righteous in ourselves, but because He is righteous in Himself. And His righteousness knows no bounds. How does God reveal Himself?
He leads. He soothes. He corrects. It redirects. He reminds us of the truth. He protects us. He gives us wisdom and insight. He inspires others to help us. He motivates us to help others. He gives us peace in the midst of trouble. He supports us to stand firm in the faith. It acts and acts and acts in various unfathomable ways.
And just when you might question whether or not your need is a nuisance to God, remember: God’s presence is inexhaustible and His resources are limitless.
It is good when you need God every minute of every day. To breathe, to survive and to thrive.
Problems, of course, will come. But God will never leave you.
He who began a good work in you will carry it on until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 For three years in a row, my son took part in solo piano concerts. Last year, during one such concert, I watched as he climbed the stairs to the stage, as he began to play… After playing two songs, he sat down next to me and said: “Mom, the piano is smaller this year.” I said, “No. The piano is the same as last year. But you’re bigger! You’re growing.”
Spiritual growth, like physical growth, usually happens slowly and takes time. It is a constant process of becoming like Jesus, which involves a profound transformation of our thinking (Rom. 12:2).
When the Holy Spirit works in us, we feel the sin in our lives more acutely. Filled with the desire to glorify God, we put more effort into positive change. Sometimes we succeed in this, but other times we fail despite our best efforts. We start to give up when we feel like we’re not making any difference. We tend to think of these setbacks as a lack of progress, but they are often a sign that the process of change is actually underway.
Spiritual growth requires the action of the Holy Spirit, the desire to change, and time. May God give you the strength not to stop in spiritual growth and to believe that “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
Dear God, please give me the desire to grow spiritually. I want to glorify You with my life and know the joy of the work of the Holy Spirit in me. Spiritual growth is a process. By Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all the stars are bright! — Psalm 148:3 The sun sets over the horizon. People often stop, take a break from their work to look at this wonder, take photos, or simply admire the wonderful sight.
Recently, my wife and I watched the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico. There were crowds of people around, mostly strangers, who had gathered on the shore to admire this evening phenomenon. And at the moment when the sun slipped over the edge of the horizon, the crowd burst into applause.
Why do people react to things like this? The book of Psalms contains a key answer. The psalmist writes that God Himself commands the sun to praise its Creator (Ps. 148:3). And when the sun’s rays illuminate the earth, it prompts people to praise God.
Few things speak to our hearts as strongly as the beauty that nature presents to us. The beauty of nature is not only able to stop us in our work, attracting our attention, but it can also direct our gaze to the Creator of this beauty itself. The wonders of God’s infinite creation can make us stop and remember what matters most. After all, they remind us that there is a Creator – the One behind the beautiful sunrise in the morning and its spectacular sunset in the evening. The Bible says that God so loved the world He created that He Himself came to earth to save and restore it.
Lord, I enjoy the world that You created in all its diversity and color. You are great. And everything You created reflects Your greatness! Enjoy creation as God enjoyed it when He created the universe. Author: Jeff Olson
And when I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself… – John 14:3 “Nothing can replace a native home!” This phrase reflects a deep-rooted desire to have a place where you can rest, where you are waited for. Jesus mentioned the desire to have his own home in the circle of his friends after the last supper with them, when he warned them of the approach of his death and resurrection. He promised that although he would leave them, he would return for them one day. And in the meantime, he will go to prepare a home for them – a place of eternal stay with Him. Heavenly home.
Jesus prepared this home for His disciples and all of us by first fulfilling all the requirements of God’s Law and then dying sinless on the cross. He assured His disciples that if He endured everything for the sake of creating a heavenly abode for them, He would certainly return for them and never leave them alone. Therefore, the disciples did not need to fear or worry about their lives either on earth or in heaven.
These words of Jesus can be a source of great comfort and confidence for us, because we believe that He is preparing a home for us. Let us remember that in our hearts He has also made His home (Jn. 14:23). The Lord went ahead of us to heaven to prepare a place for us there. Whatever home we have here on earth, we belong to Jesus. He supports us with His love, envelops us with His peace. With Him we have a native home that nothing can replace.
Lord Jesus Christ, if we sometimes feel homeless, remind us that You have our native home. Teach us to carry this sense of belonging to You to everyone we meet. Jesus is preparing a place for us for eternal life. By Amy Buescher Pye
Trying to make the perfect decision, we often get stuck in indecision. And while we should always prayerfully discern our next steps according to God’s Word and His ways, sometimes we overcomplicate things.
In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul addresses the question of food, what they should or should not eat. So Paul took some of the pressure off the Christians by saying:
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Although this passage was originally about food, the principle can be applied to any area of life. Whatever choice you make, make it for the glory of God. In this way, you will keep your conscience clear.
Are you cooking a meal or making a business deal? Do you play sports or build a house? Do you lead a team or raise children. Do you count the numbers or care for the vulnerable?
No matter what you do, your primary desire should be to love God and others, and every decision you make should be an example of that love. So ask yourself today: Does this decision honor God? Is this choice full of integrity? Can others see His character shining through my life? Will my decisions bring people closer to God or distance them from Him?
No matter what situation we are in, God has given us His Word, His Spirit, and His people to help us discern our next right course of action. Therefore, when making a decision, let’s try to honor God as much as possible, and then trust Him with our choice.
Imagine that you are wearing the shirts of compassion, patience and forgiveness. It may sound funny, but Colossians 3:12 tells us to “put on” the traits that match our identity in Christ. In other words, we need to clothe ourselves in actions and attitudes that make us more like Jesus every day.
So how do we do it? One way to start is to think about the things that are keeping you from living more like Jesus, and then begin to replace those things with the opposite actions. – If you are being sarcastic and harsh, say something nice instead. – If you tend to seem harsh, do something that requires gentleness. – If you harbored a grudge, express forgiveness.
While doing this, participate in activities that develop you spiritually. It could be hanging out with friends who will keep you accountable, learning scriptures you can apply to your life, or developing compassion through service in your community. The more you intentionally practice actions that lead to humility, compassion, and kindness, the more these traits will become a natural part of your life.
And when you cultivate the qualities mentioned in Colossians 3:12, the changes it will bring about will be most evident in the way you treat other people. The apostle John said that we cannot claim to love Jesus if we hate one another (1 John 4:20), so a life that reflects Jesus will be the embodiment of love. And according to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, love “suffers long, love is kind… It is not angry, it does not think evil… It bears all things, trusts all things, always hopes, endures all things.”
A life marked by God’s love demonstrates all that the apostle Paul speaks of in Colossians 3:12.
So, if we want to live like Jesus, we need to accept the new life He has given us and accept His unconditional love. Only then can we begin to reflect His love for others by showing people compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
So what do you need to do today to put on these character traits? Identify one or two issues that are holding you back and make a plan to remove them from your life and replace them with actions that draw you closer to Jesus.
Have you ever wondered how your life pleases God? Throughout the Scriptures we learn how we can use our lives to please God. In fact, we were created for God’s pleasure.
Since we have received new life in Christ and experienced God’s grace, we should strive to please God. Since He has given us everything in life, we must give Him everything that we are.
The writer of Hebrews tells us about two different ways to please God. The first way is described in Hebrews 13:15. The author says that our first sacrifice to God is glorifying Him. This is what the Bible calls “worship.”
Worship is orienting our whole life to live in awe of who God is and what He has done for us. We can worship God not only with the songs we sing, but also with the way we live.
Hebrews 13:16 tells us another way to please God: to love others. When we love others, we reflect the love that God has for them. This is why it matters how we treat people.
Our actions are a reflection of how God has loved us. And since God loved us, we must do good to those around us.
These are the two ways we can please God – by worshiping Him and loving others. This is similar to what Jesus calls the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-40. He sums it up by telling us to love God and love others. We love God by worshiping Him and glorifying Him. We love others by doing good to them and sharing with them.
And how do you manage to love God and love others? Do you spend time each day in scripture and prayer praising God for who He is? If we do not love God first, we cannot truly love the other people in our lives.
