Morning Prayer
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God…
Inspiration
When our employment is suddenly terminated, the most natural human reaction is panic, and that is understandable. We might further question how a loving God could let such a thing happen. "I mean, doesn't God know I need….?", etc. The fact is, God does know. So, we find ourselves with the opportunity to have instead a super-natural reaction: Trust. Trust doesn't mean that we're not confused, or sad, or even mad, but it does mean that we understand in our heart of hearts that God sees the big picture, God's got this, and will cause all things to work together for our good, even the loss of a job. Truth.
Prayer
Lord, I know sometimes stuff just happens, whether it seems right to me or not. Sometimes I honestly don’t know how to deal with that fact. I am asking You here in this moment to help me trust in Your perspective of my situation, as well as in Your capacity to cause everything to work together for good in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Devotion
Don’t Judge
Frances Taylor
This is a pretty consistent theme in the New Testament. Jesus certainly makes it clear that judging is unacceptable. In more than one Gospel the message is clear: don't judge. We humans do it though! We judge for lots of reasons. One of the not so nice reasons is to make ourselves feel better. If we can judge someone to be worse than ourselves, it can make us feel superior. Often people caught doing something will turn and say that it's not as bad as what "so and so" does. Other times, we make a judgment and spread whatever we think we know about another's behavior as gossip. It gives us a sense of power to act like we "know" everything. And often we are wrong in our judgments. Spreading gossip can ruin a person's reputation often without any substance behind it. We also tend to make judgments based on color, race, gender, age, ethnicity, all sorts of things that bias us. If you were sick in a foreign country, would you trust the doctors? If you see...
Morning Prayer
Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Inspiration
Our victory, as believers, is not by our might or by the height of our intellect. Nothing in our own power can ever make us righteous. We are where we are, as children of God, as a result of the Spirit of God residing in us. The Spirit of God is able to reside in us so easily because Jesus Christ justified and sanctified us by his blood. Isn't that glorious?
Prayer
Dear God, I thank you that it is never by my might or power that I am saved and victorious in you. It is because of your son, Jesus Christ, that I am able to have access to the Holy Spirit who enables me to function as your child. Lord, may I always take heed to the guidance of your Spirit. In Jesus' name, I pray. ...
