Promise for Today - For Your Good

As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)

There’s nothing in your life that you can’t learn from if you’ll just respond with the right attitude.  Instead of saying, “God, why is this happening to me?’ learn to say, “God, what do you want me to learn from this?” Every situation in life will either make you bitter or better. It’s your choice because you CAN choose how you respond to it.

Every problem has a purpose, and the purpose is to help you grow up spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus” (ICB). If one of God’s purposes for your life is to grow up spiritually and to become like Jesus, then what is Jesus like?

The Bible calls Jesus’ character the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 GW). These are the qualities God wants to build in your life. He wants your life to overflow with love, joy, peace, and all of these attributes.

God often produces these qualities in your life by putting you in the exact opposite situation. 

He teaches you how to love by putting you around unlovely people. It’s easy to love people who are cool, people who are like you, people you get along with. But God will put you around seemingly unlovable people to show you what his unconditional love looks like.

He’ll teach you joy not by giving you everything you want but by showing you in adversity and grief that he is still enough.

He doesn’t teach you peace when you’re out fishing by the lake or wherever you choose to rest and relax. God teaches you real peace in the middle of chaos, when everything in your life is falling apart and you learn to trust him more.

God teaches us patience in traffic jams and waiting rooms and the thousand different ways we have to wait in life.

Becoming like Christ is a lifelong journey. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” God’s Spirit will be working on you the rest of your life to help you grow up spiritually.

When he uses ways to help you grow up that seem uncomfortable or inconvenient, remember that they are producing in you God’s best fruit.

Talk It Over

Think about a recent situation or circumstance that was difficult or stressful. How might God have intended to use it for your spiritual growth?

Why does adversity often teach us better than prosperity?

What do you think God wants you to do when you’re faced with adversity and you can’t see how God is using it for good in your life?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Holy Spirit, we come before You with humble hearts, asking You to cultivate Your fruit in us. Let Your love flow through us, touching everyone we meet. Fill us with joy that overflows, peace that surpasses understanding, and patience that endures through trials.
           Lord, we ask for kindness and goodness to define our interactions, faithfulness to guide our commitments, and gentleness to reflect Your tender care. Grant us self-control to walk in righteousness and to resist temptations that seek to lead us astray.
          May love permeate our actions and words, joy radiate even in trials, and peace reign even amidst storms. Foster in us patience towards others, kindness in our dealings, goodness in our actions, faithfulness in our commitments, gentleness in our responses, and self-control in our desires.
         As we abide in You, we will bear much fruit, glorifying Your name and being a blessing to others.
We trust You, Father, to change us into the image of Your dear Son, and it's in His Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Because Mercy

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7 (NLT)

Have you ever noticed that if you’re critical of others, they’re critical of you? If you’re kind to others, they’re kind to you? Or if you’re generous to others, they’re generous to you? Whatever you give in life, you’re going to get in return.

The same is true of God’s mercy. [Our verse for today -] Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NLT)

But why does God want you to show mercy to others? Why is being merciful so important?

Because God has shown you mercy.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved” (GNT). God wants you to pass on (share) the mercy you’ve received from him.

Because God commands you to be merciful.
Do you want a summary of what life’s all about? Here it is: “The Lord has told you what is good. This is what the Lord requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 GW).

Because you’re going to need more mercy in the future.
You’re going to make a lot of mistakes between now and when you get to heaven, and you’re going to need God’s mercy. But you cannot receive what you are unwilling to give. James 2:13 says, “You must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment” (NCV).

Because showing mercy brings happiness.
Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful” (NIV). The word “blessed” also means “happy,” so the more you learn and demonstrate mercy, the happier and more blessed you’re going to be.

Because so many people in the world are living for themselves, showing mercy and grace to others will always stand out. Be known for your mercy as you model for others how good God has been to you, and you will make an eternal difference!

Talk It Over

What do you think it means to “love mercy”? (Micah 6:8)

How have you seen God bless you when you’ve shown mercy to someone—even when it was difficult to do?

Think of a way you could have shown mercy to someone in the last week but didn’t. How do you think it might have changed the outcome of that situation?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father,

          You have shown us grace when we least deserved it, and kindness when we could offer nothing in return. Soften our hearts toward those who stumble, and open our eyes to see them as You see them— 
precious, loved, and worthy of compassion. When we are tempted to judge, remind us of the mercy You have poured over our lives. When we are hurt, teach us to respond with patience instead of anger. Let our words bring healing, and my actions reflect Your gentleness. Fill us with a love that forgives quickly, serves humbly, and seeks peace over pride. May our lives be a living testimony of the mercy we have received from You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Promise for Today - Building Bridges or Walls

The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy. 

James 3:17 (NLT)

Mercy is like a diamond; it is multifaceted. The Bible reveals seven facets of mercy, and if you will learn how to be an agent of mercy, it will transform your relationships.

1. Mercy means being patient with people’s quirks.
The Bible says in James 3:17, “The wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy” (NLT). The wiser you become, the more patient and merciful you become.

2. Mercy means helping anyone around you who is hurting.
You cannot love your neighbor as yourself without being merciful. Proverbs 3:27 says, “Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it” (GNT).

3. Mercy means giving people a second chance.
When somebody hurts you, it’s natural to want to get even or write that person off. But the Bible says, “Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others . . . Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ” (Ephesians 4:31-32 CEV).

4. Mercy means doing good to those who hurt you.
Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve. Why should you do that? Because that’s what God does with you: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back . . . Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:35-36 NIV).

5. Mercy means being kind to those who offend you.
You need to be more interested in winning people to Christ than in winning an argument. The Living Bible paraphrase says it like this: “As for others, help them to find the Lord by being kind to them. . . . Hate every trace of their sin while being merciful to them as sinners” (Jude 1:23).

6. Mercy means building bridges of love to the unpopular.
This is what I call premeditated mercy, because you intentionally build friendships with people who don’t have friends or aren’t accepted at work or in society. When the Pharisees questioned why Jesus ate with tax collectors and other unpopular people, Jesus said, “‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:13 NLT).

Talk It Over

Where in society do you see people more interested in winning arguments than in winning people to Christ? Is there a time in your own life when you have done that?

If mercy means valuing relationships over rules, what do you need to change about the way you interact with your coworkers or neighbors? What about with your family members?

This week, how can you intentionally show mercy to people around you who are hurting?

- by Pastor Rick

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Prayer:

Father, 

          Thank You for the mercy You have so freely given us - mercy we could never earn. Soften our hearts to see others through Your eyes, not through our judgments or frustrations. When we are tempted to withhold kindness, remind us of the countless times You have forgiven us.
Help us to listen with patience, speak with gentleness, and act with compassion. Teach us to forgive quickly, to love deeply, and to extend grace even when it feels undeserved. Let our lives be a reflection of Your mercy, so that others may feel Your love through our words and actions. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Promise for Today - Controlled Strength

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

Have you noticed that human beings tend to mimic other people’s emotions, especially if we’re sitting or standing right across from them? We do that because of mirror neurons in our brains that allow us to sympathize and to mirror what other people feel.

For instance, if somebody gets angry with you, you get angry back. If somebody is really miserable and you hang around that person long enough, you get miserable too.

In the same way, when someone raises their voice against you, you usually raise your voice back. Then they raise their voice higher. Then you raise your voice higher. Then pretty soon things have escalated, and your emotions are out of control. But the Bible offers a different way to respond: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1 NIV).

Let me give you a little tip that will save you a lot of heartache and conflict in your marriage, in your parenting, in your friendships, and at work: When another person raises their voice, lower yours. When you do that, you’re demonstrating strength under control.

Another word for strength under control is gentleness. Gentleness defuses conflict. It de-escalates anger. A gentle person does not overreact and is not driven by emotions. A gentle person demonstrates strength under control.

The Greek word in the Bible for “gentleness” is the word prautes. Some older English translations of the Bible translate prautes as “meek.” The word “meek” isn’t used much anymore because meek has become a synonym for weak. But gentleness—or prautes—is anything but weak.

In fact, the word prautes was used to refer to a wild stallion that had been tamed. Think about that image. If you go out in the hills and find a wild stallion, it’s unbridled and even dangerous, with a strength that could kill you pretty quickly. But if you tame that stallion, it’s still just as strong, but the strength is brought under control. The strength is bottled up for the master’s use.

When you learn true gentleness as a man or woman of God, you don’t become weak. You just bring your strength under God’s control and use it for his purposes.

Talk It Over

What is your normal reaction to raised voices, such as when your kids are misbehaving or you’re having a disagreement with your spouse or close friend?

Why do you think responding in gentleness rather than anger is so disarming? Why does it get people’s attention?

Look for ways to practice gentleness this week. How do people react when you respond to them with gentleness? You may even want to record your efforts and their effects and share them with your small group.
- by Pastor Rick
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Prayer:

Father,
         We come before You with gratitude for all that You are, for all that You have given us, for Your mercy and grace towards us, for Your presence and faithfulness. You created us to reflect Your image, and in doing so, to bring You glory. We confess to You that we fail to do this. Every day, we fall short. Please forgive us. Thank You for Your unfailing patience with us. Thank You for correcting our stubborn and rebellious hearts. You tell us to learn from You for You are gentle and humble in heart. (Matthew 11:29)You modeled gentleness and humility while You lived here on earth. You have dealt gently with us in our sin and rebellion. Help us to learn from You and follow Your example. So many people need a kind word, an act of compassion, a quiet voice of reason, a softly spoken encouragement, a tender touch. Help us, Jesus, to be the peacemakers. Help us to be mild-mannered. Help us to be careful with our responses and interactions with others. Help us to be those who bring calm to the storms raging in this world.
        In Galatians 5, You tell us that gentleness is a fruit produced by the Spirit at work in our hearts. Father, we ask that Your Spirit would develop and grow gentleness within us. We know that we cannot bear fruit if we are not connected to You, so we cling to You, Jesus. We look to You. By following closely, we seek to emulate You. Show us when harshness and bitterness enter into our thoughts and help us to turn from our wicked ways. Soften our hearts. Soften us so that we may reflect Your gentleness and, in doing so, bring You glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Intentional Acts

Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT

Worldwide, there is an anti-bullying movement. Websites, organizations, crisis prevention and in-school programs, and even the government at StopBullying.gov. There are clothing lines, posters, and entire print ads and TV ad campaigns promoting "Be Kind" with the premise that we don't know what someone may be going through. 

It's a great movement. Heralded as an idea whose time has come... However, it was first espoused in the Bible - Old and New Testament. According to our Promise for Today, it is what God called us to do!

Listed below are multiple Scriptures in support of being kind, but obviously not all that are written. Kindness is to be an intentional act, not a maybe...

Job 6:14 NIV - Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.

Proverbs 11:17 NIV - Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

Proverbs 19:17 NIV - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.

Proverbs 31:26 - She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

Luke 6:35 NLT - Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Galatians 6:10 - So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Colossians 3:12 NLT - Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

1 John 3:18 - Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Be kind on purpose. 

Prayer:

Father,

           We want to be more like You. We want our character to truly reflect Your character. Show us how we can be conduits of Your kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to the people You have purposefully placed in our lives. Open our hearts to remember Your Word and live our lives according to Your purpose for us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Trouble Ahead?

 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get. And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself. Your self will not satisfy you for long. And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.

Luke 6:24-25 The Message

    There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it. “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

“To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

“Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that’s charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Luke 6:24-38 The Message

Prayer:

Father,

        Help us to remember that our task is to be true, not popular. Give us the courage to stand up for what is true and not popular. Remind us that it's not all about us and what we want, when we want it. Cause us to give away our lives as You gave Yours for us. Show us the way, Lord, and help us to walk in it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

All That

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:5-8 NLT

This jumped out at me tonight. When we do random acts of kindness, we feel blessed being able to give; the recipient feels blessed to receive. It's a good thing surely, but it pales in comparison to the kindnesses of God. There is nothing random about God's acts of kindness. From the beginning of time, His are all very intentional. 

The passage goes on to say that God showered His kindness on us. When I think shower, I think totally wet. Covered in it. Soaked. 

However, the translation of the Greek word for 'showered' is more than that. It is primarily "to have abundance, more than enough, overflow, to have an excessive amount of something, ranging from moderate excess to a very great degree of excess". Not only God's kindness but His wisdom and understanding, too! Are we able to wrap our heads around all that?

Prayer:

Father,

           It is with an overflowing, grateful heart that we give You praise and glory and honor for the excessive kindnesses You have showered on us. Open our eyes of understanding so that we are able to grasp the greatness of it all and use it to complete Your purpose and plan for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Living the New Life

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:1-17 NLT

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for sending Your Son to pay the death penalty for our sin. Teach us how to live more fully in Your way. Holy Spirit, remind us always to make the choices to walk in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, love, and forgiveness as we live out our role as Christ's ambassadors. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Social Dilemma

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Colossians 3:8-11 NKJV

I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I love that I can have instant communication with family and friends who live states and countries away and at a glance, be able to catch up on the latest news. (However, we cannot let that be our only method of maintaining relationships.) What I hate about social media is the tendency for it to be more divisive than inclusive, what with the spewing of hateful opinions, the hard line in the sand, the black and white of things, no love, no forgiveness, no mercy... 

I especially hate it when the "Christians" are doing the spewing. I put the word in quotation marks because as Christians, the Bible says we are new creations. We have put off the old man of hatred and separatism and are to have become one in Christ. 

Here's what the Word says about all of that... Colossians 3:12-17, NKJV
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Prayer:

Father,

           Please forgive us for leading the charge into the fray of self-serving opinions instead of into the sanctuary of Your salvation and peace. Help us to walk faithfully in Your love and mercy, in Your kindnesses and forgiveness. Help us to put on love and to let Your peace rule in our hearts and lives. Give us grateful hearts, O God, and Your strength to live holy before You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Full of Forever

For the mountains shall depart
And the hills be removed,
But My kindness shall not depart from you,
Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”
Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
Isaiah 54:10 NKJV

I don't know that I've ever thought about mountains departing or hills being removed other than in the context of Earth being destroyed, and that makes this verse all the more precious to me. 

In a world filled with chaos, confusion and strife, hurtling headlong toward destruction, our Father promises that such events will not change His love toward us. Think about that! In the middle of all these things, we can rest assured in His covenant of peace, safely ensconced by His kindness, and lovingly embraced in His mercy. Selah...  The end of things as we know them will come, but God's promises to us are full of forever.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your measureless love and mercy and priceless peace. Thank You that the peace You have provided cannot be shaken by world events. What an incredible gift You have given us! Help us to fully understand and embrace the breadth and depth of Your loving kindnesses toward us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Kindness

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12 NLT

It's not a suggestion. He didn't say 'maybe'. He didn't say 'perhaps'. It's not contingent upon whether or not we feel like it. No, God chose us, therefore we MUST...

Don't confuse being nice with being kind. Nice is being polite. You don't have to like someone to be nice to them. But I believe you have to care in order to be kind.

Social media is causing us to be more socially inept than socially adept. I don't have to rehash any of the awful posts or tweets or IGs in an effort to support that statement. You know them. However, there are some good ones, as well. People who start campaigns for Random Acts of Kindness. Houses built for those who have lost theirs in a natural disaster. Supplies bought and delivered following a hurricane, earthquake, flood, tsunami, or some other disaster du jour, just to name a few.

 
It's about how we choose to live our lives - for the Lord or not. Yes, it's really that simple.

If we choose for the Lord, then we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all Truth (John 16:13). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He changes us. According to Galatians 5:22-23a, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The way I see it, love, joy, peace, and patience are what cause KINDNESS to grow within us. Just like a garden needs to be cultivated in order to produce, we need to cultivate the fruits of the Holy Spirit so they will grow and live Lord-large in us. And we must be intentional about it.

When we are tempted to be less than kind, let's take a breath and remember that God provides His strength to help us walk in His ways. Galatians 5:24-25, And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Prayer:

Father,
          Show us how best to cultivate the fruit You have placed in our lives. Help us to be Your ambassadors for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Live large in us so that the world sees You when they look at us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Spoken to Me

Nothing is more appealing than speaking beautiful, life-giving words. For they release sweetness to our souls and inner healing to our spirits.
Proverbs 16:24 TPT - The Passion Translation

February was a brutal month for my family. However, in the midst of it all, what I'm remembering most (and best!) are beautiful, life-giving words that were spoken or written or texted to me at just the precise moment I needed the sustenance they provided to my weary soul. 

Precious family, dear friends, kind strangers. All orchestrated by a loving God to be in my life exactly with what I needed when I needed it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Prayer:

Father,

          You are such a loving Father to provide for Your children in ways we cannot even begin to express that we need. Thank You seems as though it is not enough. Please hear my heart, Lord. And bless the sweetness back to those who so willingly gave it. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

On the Daily Menu

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

1st Peter 2:1-3 NLT

It's the beginning of Thanksgiving week in the US. I love reading the thankful/gratitude/blessing posts on social media that are plentiful during the month of November. And I wonder why we can't be grateful and not hateful the other 11 months of the year.  

Speaking of Thanksgiving, people are talking about their favorite recipes and planning their menus. I like learning people's thoughts on what makes a certain food THE recipe for their holiday meal. And I wonder if we like them so much and we drool like Pavlov's dogs when we think of them, why is it we only fix those dishes on specific holidays? Would it not taste as good on say, any given Tuesday? Just wondering why they're not on the daily menu.

Have you ever tasted a better recipe for a favorite food and decided from that one taste that you would never go back to the old way of doing it? Never settle for anything less? In fact, anything less is such a disappointment that you'd almost rather do without than settle. 

What does this have to do with our Promise for Today? Well, as I see it, God has offered us His salvation, a better recipe for living this life. Do we only serve Him on Easter and Christmas? Only when we attend a church service? If we've tasted of the Lord's kindness, don't we want it on our daily menu?

Prayer:

Father,

          Change our hearts and our desires, O Lord. Help us to get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Help us to walk in forgiveness and develop a lifestyle of forgiveness. Strongly, remind us of the taste of the Lord's kindness, so that we settle for nothing less than the best. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Wisdom and Kindness

She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
Proverbs 31:26 NKJV

Man! How I wish it was me that Scripture referred to... Too many times, it’s not.

The good news is that there is hope in God and faith that I will get there...through the Holy Spirit's persistence to woo and teach me. If that’s you, too, let’s pray this together.

Father,
          Let our hearts be ever alert to Your guidance. Let our feet be quick to follow You. Let our mouths be silent until You fill us to speak words of wisdom and kindness. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Perfectly Perfected

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
1st Peter 5:10 NKJV

The New Living Translation reads, In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus...

Jentezen Franklin says in his book Love Like You've Never Been Hurt that "to be kind is to be holy." Not the end-all, be-all of holy, but definitely one attribute of it, and we are called to be holy because God is holy (1st Peter 1:15-17).

It's easy to be kind when all is right in our world - people who love you, your health is good, the bills are paid, there's food enough on the table. For many, if even one of these is removed, kindness may go right out the door. 

John MacArthur writes, 

Christians are to live with the understanding that God’s purposes realized in the future require some pain in the present. While the believer is being personally attacked by the enemy, he is being personally perfected by the Lord, as the next phrase attests: perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle. These 4 words all speak of strength and resoluteness. God is working through the Christian’s struggles to produce strength of character.

What we need to remember is that it's after the suffering that the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us.

Prayer:

Father, 
           Thank You for Your many kindnesses toward us - innumerable, immeasurable, fathomless. We want to be like You. To love as You love. To be holy as You are holy. Give us the grace to endure so that after the suffering, You will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Let It Begin with Me

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
2nd Timothy 2:24-26 NLT

Did you ever notice in Scripture how the apostles addressed and defined themselves?
Paul, a servant of the Lord;
Peter, a slave to Christ;
His servant John;
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All in submission - all in service to God and Christ Jesus.

What is it servants do? Whatever the Master instructs them to do. Not IF they feel like it. Not WHEN they feel like it. Not only if the the other servants do or don't do it. Not only when someone's looking...

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

He had to include that one, right? The be patient with difficult people phrase? I noticed there's not a qualifying statement attached to that sentence, either; such as, except for Mondays or be patient with difficult people once or twice, but smack 'em the 3rd time...

Can it really be that big of a deal? Is it that important for us to be patient with difficult people? The Word says, Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap.

Their eternity could be determined by whether or not we CHOOSE to be kind and patient to them. It's time for a change. Let it begin with me.

Prayer:

Father,
Change MY heart so that I can be kind and not quarrelsome. Patient and not peeved. Let my life reflect Your love. May I never again get down to that last nerve. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen

Splinters

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2:4 NLT

Confessing my faults so that I might be healed... Despite what some might think, my preference is to teach by example rather than tell people what to do. It is my intention to live in peace and to hopefully change unwanted behaviors by proving what can be accomplished through choices we make. However, I have to confess my patience and long-suffering abilities are not even remotely close to the lengths that God will go to show kindness, and so, after a time, I wind up saying exactly how and what I think should be done. Sometimes, that's good. Sometimes, not so much. My choices.

Some days, I know the mercy I choose to extend to my fellow man is NOT new every morning. It's as though I have prescribed a set amount per use and if the whole allotment is used in less time than I think is appropriate, you don't get any more until either I get over it or I think you've earned the right to have more. And that is so NOT God. And Romans chapter 2 fully addresses these wrong mindsets.

While I do most of my reading/study in the New Living and New King James, sometimes I just love the phrasing in The Message interpretation. Verse 3 - 4a, You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. Verse 5a, You’re not getting by with anything. 

Verse 9, If you go against the grain, you get splinters, regardless of which neighborhood you’re from, what your parents taught you, what schools you attended.

Going against the grain in this instance translates to not walking in obedience to God's Word. If you go against the grain, you get splinters - regardless...

Prayer:

Father,
          Help us to rightly divide Your Word so that we go with Your flow and not against the grain. Help us to pull out the splinters of our disobedience so they don't fester and kill us... or others. Forgive us, O God! Heal us, Father, change our hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen