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RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, you are the love of my life and I am awed by all that you do for me. Help me be willing to share what I know about you any time a good opportunity comes my way. Amen.
Before Time Began
Their faith and this knowledge are based on the hope of eternal life that God, who doesn’t lie, promised before time began.
—Titus 1:2
God made a plan with love, and he did it before Genesis, before he even started speaking all things into existence. Wow! He has always known us and with that knowledge created a promise that he keeps forever: He will bring us back to himself one day and give us the hope of eternal life.
Now that we know where we’re going, what difference does that make in our day today? What can we do today that we’ll be pleased to share with him when we get to see him face to face? How can we show our love to someone today? We’re not always conscious of our choices in light of that moment when we’re talking with our Creator, but sometimes it’s good to look at things from that perspective.
After all, we’re finite and we’re pretty good at squandering time. We know we don’t have forever, and yet we don’t always make our moments count. This is the day the Lord has made, and we are glad. Let’s walk with him and work with him and grow in him today so that we have more faith and more knowledge and more hope than we have had in years. It’s your day to shine!
Make today count by walking with him and growing in knowledge and faith.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for this new day and thanks for making plans to bring me hope and faith and the way back to you someday. Help me make today count so that I’ll be glad to share my stories of today when we’re standing face to face. Amen.
Let Me Give You a Hand
Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many.
—1 Corinthians 12:12
When we think of ourselves as the body of Christ, we need to remember that all the churches who worship Jesus everywhere in the world are part of that body. We’re all part of the same Lord and, therefore, we’re still each other’s hands and feet. What affects one of us, really affects all of us.
It’s the ripple effect. What happens to one member of the body has a consequence for the rest of the body. We have a love of creating labels in our culture, and we have traditions based in theology for the many churches that make up the body of Christ. One of them may be a “hand” and one may be a “leg,” but each one represents the same God, the author of each of us.
Today, let’s celebrate the fact that God has such a diverse body, linked together by the blood of Christ. Let’s thank him for one another and the work that each church does to make the world a better place. Wherever you live, wherever you work, wherever you worship, you are an important member of the body of Christ, and we need you to do the wonderful things you do to make us one. Celebrate God’s love for his church today.
Celebrate that you are part of the body of Christ, wherever you live, work, or worship.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for creating your church here on earth and for all the people who belong to you. Help us be good hands and good feet and good hearts for you, and help us serve each other well. Amen.
God’s Nourishment!
The LORD’s Instruction is perfect, reviving one’s very being. The LORD’s laws are faithful, making naive people wise. The LORD’s regulations are right, gladdening the heart. The LORD’s commands are pure, giving light to the eyes. Honoring the LORD is correct, lasting forever. The LORD’s judgments are true.
—Psalm 19:7-9
If you’re into energy drinks, you probably like that you can mix a sprinkle of this and a smidge of that, blend it with some yogurt and bananas and strawberries, and off you go for the day, fortified and energized. You have been revived.
God nourishes you in a similar way in that he is the One Source that you can go to for all your needs. When you want to learn from him, when you’re ready to listen, he’s there with amazing insights and new ideas. He’s ready to pour out his Spirit in your direction, guiding you and giving you a new perspective. He’s interested in making you brilliant so that you can be proud of your choices and become wiser in the things you do.
Honor him and praise him. Give him a chance to renew your enthusiasm so you can fulfill the life purpose he designed for you. He wants you to succeed, and he will make sure you have all you need to make that happen. Only he can truly nourish your soul!
Take in all of God’s nourishment, renewed by his Spirit to accomplish his plans.
RENEWED FOR A PURPOSE
Lord, thank you for teaching me and revitalizing me today. Help me keep my eyes open to all that you have for me, and let me shine my light for you. Amen.
Is God Still in the Building?
Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The LORD is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.
—Lamentations 3:22-24
It’s a struggle sometimes to remember that God hasn’t left the building—that is, the building up of his people, the building of relationships, and the building of his church. He hasn’t left us, and yet we may try to seek him the same way we’d do a celebrity sighting, hoping to catch a glimpse of him when we least expect. The writer of this Scripture reminds us that God hasn’t quit, hasn’t walked away from his creation, and his acts of kindness aren’t done. He begins
