enjoy those family traditions that warm our hearts. And when our hearts are warmed, everyday kindnesses just naturally flow from us to others.
Our best example of genuine love comes straight from the Lord. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence…” Or in other words, we need to be ready to share the hope we have through Jesus in a loving way any time we are asked. The question we could get asked could be something like, “How can you stay so positive with everything going on in your life?” And that’s when we can share our faith by telling them that the only way we could still be positive is because we’re not doing this life alone. Jesus is with us every step of the way. Praying you’ll have your answer ready when asked to give the reason for your hope.
Jesus, help me be prepared to share who You are and what all You have done in my life when I get that opportunity. Amen.
11…PLEASING TO GOD
Good morning! At church on Sunday, my pastor talked about one of the people we read about in the Bible, Enoch. When I get to heaven, Enoch is one of those people I want to find and have a conversation with. But until the Lord takes me to heaven, I want to live like Enoch because he lived a life pleasing to the Lord. I’m sure it was clear to others that he was living like he was loved! In Hebrews 11:5, we find testimony of Enoch’s triumph of faith. “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.”
Very little information is given to us about Enoch but Genesis 5:23-24 gives us a tad bit more. “So, all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Wow, can you imagine living for that long? As hard as that is to picture, the picture of Enoch talking to God as he was taking a Sunday stroll through the park here on earth (the strolling through the park is my visual, not scriptural) AND then instantly walking in Heaven with Him is mind-boggling. Enoch did not have to experience death and I’m all in favor of that!!
How do we live a life that is pleasing to God? The Bible is our guide in life. Through the pages from Genesis to Revelations we read about those things that please God. But it all starts with faith as Hebrews 11:6 tells us. “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” So, the first question that needs to be answered is have you placed your faith in Jesus? If so, Hallelujah! If not, I pray today would be the day you’d put your trust in the Lord.
Lord, help us be more like Enoch and live a life that would be pleasing to You. Help us as we seek to learn more about You. Amen.
12…HE SET ME FREE
Good morning! “And the truth shall set you free” is a phrase most of us have heard many times, but did you know that it is more than a common phrase? It’s actually Scripture. We find it in John 8:32 through Jesus’ own words. “... and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” You know, sometimes life is just messy. We want to live in perfect harmony, but that’s not always the case. We want everyone to just be nice and kind, but that doesn’t always happen either. And then you turn on the news and wonder what’s wrong with people. Sometimes we just want someone to answer the question, “How did this life get so crazy???”
As I was searching to find the scripture about how truth can set us free, I found the answer to how things got so crazy. Earlier in John 8, a woman was brought to Jesus who had been caught in adultery. The Scribes and the Pharisees said that in the Law Moses had commanded them to stone such a woman. They were testing Jesus to see what He would say. It was in Jesus’ response that I found the answer to why everything has gotten so crazy. In verse 7, Jesus said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And there’s our answer to explain why...sin. We live in a fallen, sinful world, and as a result, things like heartache and disappointment are just a natural byproduct of sin. As the story of the adulteress woman continued, no stones were thrown because none present were without sin. In verse 34 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” Being a slave to sin is true bondage. But the good news is that we don’t have to stay in that condition because the truth that sets us free is found in Jesus. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, believing in who He is and what He did to set us free from the bondage of sin, we are forever freed from the penalty of sin. And when Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed!!
Jesus, thank You for setting me free! Please help me share that freedom with others. Amen.
13…PEACE OF GOD
Good morning! ‘Tis the season for “peace on earth and goodwill to men,” or at least that’s what the songs we sing this time of year say. But is that true? Is there peace on earth? Do we offer goodwill to men? One of those songs we sing directs us to how we obtain peace on earth. The lyrics will probably be familiar to you. “With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: To take each moment, and live each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” Peace on earth begins with each of us. If we don’t have peace, we can’t share peace with others.
Lasting peace only comes from our Heavenly Father. Here are three of my favorite verses dealing with peace. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful.” Another verse found in the book of John dealing with peace is John 16:33. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.” And then there is Philippians 4:6-7. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Isn’t the peace of God what we all want? Even though the world has gotten pretty crazy, these Scriptures remind us that we can still have peace … God’s peace. The peace that passes all understanding can be ours. My prayer for us through this holiday season, and always, is that we all might experience the peace of the Lord. Then we can truly live out the song lyrics … “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
God, Your peace is what we all desire, even when we aren’t aware that’s what we are looking for. Allow me to help someone find that peace in You. Amen.
14…PICNICS
Good morning! As I was covering up this morning with one of my Boyd’s Bears blankets, I read what it said on this particular blanket. “Life is a Picnic.” My initial thought after reading that was that life is not always a picnic. But as I’ve sat here and thought about it for a bit, I think that saying is true. Walk through a picnic with me. When I think of a picnic I think of three main things: blue skies, good food, and time to relax. Try to picture this picnic in your head. It’s a beautiful sunny day and you’ve taken a blanket and spread it out underneath the shade tree and you pull out your food to have a nice little meal. You just want to kick back and spend some time with the person that you’re with and just relax. Then you notice that ants are trying to eat your food and you spend time shooing them away, trying to position your food so they can’t get to it. But they persist, and you find yourself not as relaxed because you’re constantly fighting them. And then the wind picks up and out of the blue it starts thundering and next thing you know it’s raining on your picnic.
Isn’t that how life is? As we try to feed ourselves with godly things, there are always things that seem to pester us, even when we’re trying to relax. And just when you think you can take a deep breath and exhale because life
