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.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves the humbled in spirit. — Psalm 33:19 The morning my son Allen was born, the doctor sat in the chair by my bed and said, “Something is wrong…” Our son, so healthy on the outside, had a life-threatening defect and needed immediate surgery.
When the doctor says that “something is wrong” with your child, everything in life changes. Fear of the unknown future can break your spirit and you can barely move forward, desperately needing God’s help. “Why would a loving God let this happen?” you think. “Does He really care about my child? Is He with me?” These and other thoughts shook my faith that morning.
Then my husband Hiram came and heard the sad news. When the doctor left, he said, “Jolin, let’s pray.” I nodded and he took my hand. “Thank you, Father, for giving us Allen,” he prayed. “He’s yours, God. Not ours. You loved him before we knew he existed. And he’s yours. Be with him when and where we can’t be. Amen.”
Hiram was always a man of few words. But that day, when my heart was broken, my spirit was broken, and my faith weakened, God gave him words that I could not have said. In those moments, firmly holding my husband’s hand, in deep silence, swallowing tears, I felt that God was very close.
How has God through other people strengthened you when your spirit was broken? Psalms can help you pray if you can’t find the right words. The best friend is the one who prays for you. Author: Jolene Philo
The author of the 27th Psalm deliberately focuses attention on one of the most important aspects of our spiritual life. Throughout the scriptures we learn about the importance of God’s presence.
It is in God’s presence that we find strength and hope (Psalm 27:1). Also, in God’s presence our enemies lose their power over us (Psalm 27:2-3).
In Psalm 27:4, the author expresses his desire to be in the house of God, to contemplate God’s beauty and to be in His presence in the temple. In the Old Testament, God’s presence was primarily in the temple. But spending time with God, the psalmist found hope and restoration for his soul.
Thanks to Jesus, God’s presence is no longer confined to the temple. His presence is now available to us through the Holy Spirit who lives within believers. Now we have access to God’s presence at all times.
Just as the psalmist desired to be in God’s presence, we should also desire to be with God as much as possible. It is in God’s presence that we find hope, joy, beauty and restoration of our weary souls.
It is important that we spend time with God every day. We can do this by regularly reading the Scriptures and meditating on what we read. We can also spend time in prayer talking to God about what is happening in our lives. Another way to spend time in God’s presence is simply to be aware that He is with you as you go about your daily tasks each day.
Test me, O God, and know my heart, examine me, and know my thoughts. — Psalm 138:23 When my husband Dan and I decided to take care of our elderly parents, the first day we held each other’s hands felt like we were about to jump into the abyss. Little did we know at the time that the greatest of the challenges ahead would be to allow God to search and shape our hearts, to allow Him to use this time in such a way as to transform us into the likeness of Jesus.
In those days when I felt like I was flying into an abyss in free fall, God revealed the secret things in my heart, hidden motives, fears, pride and selfishness. Where I suffered spiritual defeats, He showed His love and forgiveness.
The pastor told me then: “The best day is the day when you first see yourself with your own eyes – hopeless without Christ; and then you see yourself with God’s eyes – complete in Him.” This is exactly the kind of blessing I have received in my life through the ministry of guardianship. When I saw what God created me for, I stopped in my tracks and ran crying into His open arms. I tearfully cried out to God, as the psalmist once did: “Test me, O God, and know my heart” (Ps. 138:23).
I pray that you too will have such an experience – that when you see your heart in the midst of difficult circumstances, you can run with tears to the open, loving arms of God, who always grants forgiveness.
Dear Father, today I confess a desperate need for Your love, wisdom and grace. Explore and know my heart. Fill my life with Your grace and mercy, so that my heart receives healing. Restlessness comes – strength disappears; let’s run to God – strength returns. Author: Shelley Beach
If you’ve ever experienced a severe storm or natural disaster, you know how important it is to have a safe shelter for your protection. Whenever there is a threat, we need something stronger than that threat to protect us.
This also applies to our everyday life. We experience attacks from our spiritual enemy and other dangers in life. Sometimes we need to be rescued from our thoughts and habits. Other times, we need someone to help us heal from something we can’t handle on our own.
Scripture calls God our refuge and refuge. As God’s children, we can rest in His strength and power, knowing that He is able to protect us from any situation we may face.
Since God created us, He really does know what is best for us. He knows how to protect our souls and keep us from danger.
However, we must turn to Him when we need help. We cannot rely on His presence unless we spend time with Him. He is a refuge for those who actively trust Him and seek His help. No matter what challenges you face, God can help you get through them.
The best way to seek help from God is through prayer. Spend some time talking to God, telling Him how you feel. Ask Him for what you need. If you seek His presence and trust in Him, He will protect you and keep you safe.
