Our help comes from God

March 10, 2021

Today for my devotions I read Psalm 121:1-8. It is a wonderful Psalm that gives us comfort in times of trial.

As I read six things stood out for me…

1. Our help comes from God who is the maker of heaven and earth (v1-2)

2. He will not let us stumble because He watches over us always (v3-4)

3. The Lord stands beside us and protects us (v5-6)

4. The Lord keeps us from all harm (v7)

5. The Lord watches over our life as we come and go (v8)

6. He watches over us now and forever (v8)

These six things give me great comfort and confidence. It helps me to know that God is both with me now and watching over me always.

The supremacy of Christ

March 7, 2021

Today for communion I want to read a passage of Scripture from Romans 3 and share some thoughts. The passage is Romans 3:21-26. Six short verses with some powerful truths.

This week as I have been thinking about communion, my mind has been coming back to the supremacy of Christ. I have been thinking how He is far above all things. How nothing in all of creation compares to Him. As I have been dwelling on this I have been drawn to a few verses in Colossians chapter 1. It touches on this idea.

Colossians 1:15-20

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see–such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. 17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. 18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So, He is first in everything. 19 For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

In this short passage there is so much truth. Christ is the visible image of God. All God’s fullness dwelt in Him. He existed before creation. He is supreme over creation. Through Him all things were created. He holds all things together. He is the head of the church. So, Christ is supreme over all things.

Not only is He supreme, but He is the one who purchased our salvation. Verse 20 says, “and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”

Jesus took all our sin and all of our wrongdoing, on Himself when He hung on that cross. He paid the price and He said it is finished.

So, as we stop and remember Jesus today. Let us remember that He is supreme over all creation, He is the head of the church, He holds all things together and He purchased our salvation.

Let’s pray

God’s love is un-breakable

March 2, 2021

This morning for my devotions I read Romans 8:38-39 in the passion translation. It says…

38 So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles,[a] fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. 39 There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

As I read six quick thoughts came to mind…

1. We live with confidence that nothing can separate us from God’s love

2. His love will triumph over death

3. His love will triumph over life’s troubles

4. His love will triumph over evil powers

5. There is nothing in our present or future that can weaken His love for us

6. No power in the universe can distance us from His passionate love for us in Christ Jesus

As I dwell on these six things it reminds me that God’s love towards us in unbreakable.

He loved us and showed it in Christ’s death for us. He loves us today. He will love us forever and ever.

You are loved and kept by God for now and all eternity.

Search me O God

February 25, 2021

Psalms 139:23-24 says “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

David knew what it was to talk and pray to God. He prayed and praised God when things were going well. He prayed and cried out to God when things we not good or where his enemies were all around him.

In the above verses we see that David also wanted God to search his heart and his thoughts. He wanted to be right with God and asked if there was anything that he needed to sort out. He also wanted to be lead in the way everlasting.

Most of us, if we are honest have things hidden away in our hearts and in our thoughts that are not quite right. Things that we wouldn’t want anyone else to know or hear out loud. I know I have at times.

I think the key is to be like David in these times. We need to ask God to search our hearts and our thoughts. Ask Him to reveal any offensive ways. When He does we then need to confess them and ask for help to overcome. 

When we do this we walk in the way of the everlasting. The way God intends us to walk…closely with Him each and every day.

Prayer

Dear God, like David I want you to search my heart and test my anxious thoughts. I pray if there is any offensive way in me, that you would show me. I want to confess and be right with You. With all my heart I want to walk with You in the way everlasting, Amen.

Paul and living for Jesus

February 11, 2021

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

As I read these verses I think about the change that overtook Paul after his conversion. He was no longer driven by selfish ambition, he was a changed man.

Paul was convinced that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sin. This is the message he took everywhere. As a result of knowing this, he couldn’t live his life for himself any more.

Paul lived for Jesus Christ because he believed that he has died with Christ (Romans 6:6, 11). He believed that dying with Christ meant that he should live for Jesus (Galatians 2:20).

His heart was changed. He had a new focus. It was all about living for Jesus and pouring himself out for others (2 Timothy 4:5-7).

How about you? Has your life changed since you came to Christ? Have you got a new reason to live? Are you living for Jesus today?

Prayer

Dear God, help me not to live for myself, but to live for You and Your Kingdom. Help me to always remember that Jesus died for me and that I have been raised to a new life in Christ. Amen