Rejoice!

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9 NLT

How do we love Christ? 

In every circumstance, choose how we can best bring Him the most honor and glory and do that. 

How do we trust Him?

By believing His every word and obeying. Trust isn't a feeling. To trust Him is a decision - a choice we make (to believe and obey).

What does it mean to rejoice in Christ? 

It means to thank Him and praise Him for the wondrous blessing of our salvation and our secured eternity with Him. When we meditate on that thought alone, our joy can be truly inexpressible. To get to live for God - knowing He ever watches over us - should flood our hearts with pure joy.

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for Your wondrous plan for our salvation since before the foundation of the world. What great love You have for us - incomparable and incomprehensible - too great to fully grasp and understand. Help us, Father, to follow obediently in Your footsteps and to love others as You have loved us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Obey AND Follow

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Hebrews 12:1-3 NKJV

Anyone can believe - Scripture tells us even the demons believe and tremble - but not everyone will FOLLOW Christ as He follows God's leading. The way is hard, but the Word says He makes our crooked ways straight. 

Our text for today encourages us to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He did not tell us, "Go get started. Run the race. Let Me know how you do." No, He wrote the story and He'll finish it. Our job is to follow and be obedient. Not fix it on our own, not finish on our own, nor flounder along the way. 

We are to obey and follow. Not question, not quit, nor quake in fear at what we cannot possibly do without God's help. Obey and follow. Follow in His footsteps. He goes before us and makes the crooked path straight. Our job is to trust, obey and follow.

He finishes. We will finish with Him. We will win because He has already won.

Prayer:

Father,

        Teach us to trust and obey and to follow You instead of trying to lead You all over our wilderness-in-the-making. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Encouraged to Obey +

If you love me, obey my commandments.
John 14:15 NLT

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.

Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

Jesus replied, All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me.

And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe. John 14:16-29 NLT

Prayer:

Father,
           We choose to accept and obey what You say. We love You, Father. Help us to love You more... In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen