When reading the Bible, if you don’t experience both conviction and celebration, you’re not reading it correctly.   On one hand, we should not ignore the places where God’s words challenge and correct the way we are living if we are disobedient to His commands.  On the other hand, we should not isolate the places where God issues His commands so all we have is a list of “dos and don’ts.”  A proper reading and understanding of the Bible should equip us to joyfully do as God intends and encourage us with all that Jesus has done, is doing and will do for us.  His doing makes our doing possible and makes it worth it.

We live in a world that is full of exaggerations that routinely don’t live up to the expectations they create.  People often make claims that misrepresent reality by making something seem bigger and better than it really is.  While there are many stretches of the truth in the words of those around us, the Word of God is a reliable source of truth. Consider what it says about Jesus.  The Bible does not over-state, over-hype, over-sell or over-promise on who Jesus is and what Jesus does.  As infinitely perfect and infinitely great as He is spoken of in it, Jesus lives up to it.  This is our expectation: He is as awesome as He seems to be.

We often hear one thing when God is saying another thing.  We hear, “You can’t do that or have that or be that.”  God is saying, “That is not good for you.”  We hear, “You must do this or have this or be this.” God is saying, “This is good for you.”  What we interpret as a restrictive rule, God intends to be a gracious guardrail. While we may think His commands are something that will rob us of joy, He is actually saying them because He knows they will safeguard our joy.  Therefore, let us trust Him as we listen to Him. Remember, even when we hear God saying something we don’t like, He is actually saying, “I love you.”

We should never approve or applaud someone else’s sin.  But we should also be a lot more gracious with other believers who live differently than we do.  It can be helpful to remember that every one of us who is following Jesus does so at varying paces and is at varying places in that journey with Him.  Not everyone will… Understand things like we do.  Interpret things like we do.  Practice things like we do.  Rather than criticize others because they aren’t carbon copies of us, let us cheer on others to continue growing in the likeness of Jesus. None of us are as mature as we will be; but we’re also not as messy as we used to be.

In this world, we will have tribulation.  Trouble has either already made its way into your life, or it is on its way.  But…  Jesus has overcome the world.  His power is greater than our enemies, His sovereignty rules over our battles, His promises reside in our hearts, His forgiveness ensures our futures, His presence empowers our lives, and His grace provides for our needs.  Though He doesn’t always remove the threats from our lives, He does render them powerless to do anything that would prevent us from joyfully enduring and prevailing in the end.  Take heart! He didn’t get you this far just to get you this far.

Pride includes thinking and acting and speaking as if self is the source of everything good about who you are, what you have and what you do.  Humility includes the opposite.  It recognizes that we would be nothing good, have nothing good and do nothing good apart from the grace of God.  We can know whether we are prideful or humble by whether we take credit ourselves or give it to God, take charge ourselves or trust in God, and take care of ourselves or rely on God.  Today, let us humbly and joyfully praise Him for all that is good about ourselves and our lives, remembering this:  If it’s good, it’s from God.

We need help every single day to wisely and safely and joyfully and productively keep going in life.  And we will have every single day’s worth of help that we need to keep going in life because we have Jesus! He is gracious, so He is ready to help us.  He is loving, so He is willing to help us.  He is mighty, so He is able to help us.   Ready.  Willing.  Able.  His grace means we don’t have to earn His help, His love means we don’t have to pry His help, and His might means we don’t have to doubt His help.  Be confident and courageous today knowing that no matter what comes your way, the help of Jesus is on the way.

Who God is and what God does is powerful enough for the entire universe and personal enough for you. He knows everything that is happening in the universe.  He knows you.  He sustains everything that is enduring in the universe. He sustains you. He guides everything that is staying on course in the universe.  He guides you.  He helps everything that is fulfilling its purpose in the universe.  He helps you.  He blesses everything that is enjoyed rightly in the universe.  He blesses you.  No matter what today brings, remember this wonderfully good news:  God isn’t just out there somewhere; He is right there with you.

The One who knows us most is also the One who loves us most.  He sees every sin, every shortcoming, every struggle … and He sets His affections upon us anyway. God loves us just as we are, but He loves us enough not to leave us as we are.  When we put our faith in Jesus, God begins to transform us into people who both hide less and less and have less and less to hide.  He doesn’t expect us to change our lives before He welcomes us into His family, but rather He welcomes us into His family and then He begins to change our lives.  Remember today: We are not fully changed, but we are fully loved sons and daughters.

Every human knows what it feels like to be stuck.  Stuck in repeated mistakes, personality flaws, bad habits, unfulfilling rhythms and inner unrest caused by our sinfulness.  But God in His grace sent Jesus to get us un-stuck and offer real transformation for those who put their trust in Him.  This is what becoming new in Christ means:  a change in our standing with God, a change in what makes us happy, a change in what controls our lives, and a change in what our eternity will be like.  He changes everything!  Trust Him day by day and watch Him change you from who you used to be into who you were made to be.

Christians.  That is what we are.  Love.  That is what we do.  The entire Christian experience of following Jesus in faith is characterized by love.  But only when we love rightly.  All the sins of all the people in all the world are the result of loving wrongly.  To love like God loves, we should not… Love what it is wrong to love. Fail to love what should be loved. Love too much what should be loved less. Love too little what should be loved more. There is an order to love.  By grace… We are to love God above people.  Love people above things.  And love things in such a way that they help us to better love God and love people.

Devastating tragedy.  Unexpected loss.  Agonizing heartache.  There is no way to be adequately prepared for sudden suffering when it blindsides us.   We don’t see the hardship coming, but we can be sure of this:  we will see the grace of God coming.  He will not leave us alone to face the trials of this world.  We don’t have the answers, but He will give us guidance.  We don’t have the will, but He will give us strength.  We don’t have optimism, but He will give us hope.  We don’t have a lot of things on our own, but we do have Jesus.  And He is everything. Take heart in this:  He will help us every moment we cannot help ourselves.

Here’s just one of the many things that is so amazing about God’s grace:  we would still be walking in darkness if He had not shined His light upon our hearts.  We would not have seen our sin for what it is, but even if we did… We would not have cared, but even if we did… We would not have been able to do anything to change.  But God has solved all of this. His light exposes our sin, reveals His grace and leads us to faith in Jesus.  Whoever follows Him does not live in darkness, but has the transforming light of life.  Today, as we walk in the light, let us remember to praise God for drawing us to the Light of the World.

If God and I don’t think the same way, it’s me that is thinking wrongly.  If God and I don’t speak the same way, it’s me that is speaking wrongly.  If God and I don’t act the same way, it’s me that is acting wrongly.  God never adjusts His ways to match mine, but is continually and graciously transforming me to be more like Him.  So… It’s never right to conclude that God is wrong.  Yes, He does things we can’t understand.  Yes, He does things we don’t like.  Yes, He does things we wouldn’t choose.  But He absolutely never makes an error in anything He does.  Let us trust in this: He knows what He is doing, even when we don’t.

We often place too much value on the value that other people place on us.  While it matters what others think of us as it relates to being the hands and feet of Jesus, it doesn’t matter at all what they think of us as it relates to our true worth in the eyes of Jesus. When you are approved by Jesus, you don’t have to be appreciated by everyone else.  When you are invited in by Jesus, you don’t have to be included by everyone else. When you are loved by Jesus, you don’t have to be liked by everyone else.  No matter what others say or don’t say about you today, remember what really matters:   You are precious to God.

There are a lot of important questions we should ask ourselves on a regular basis throughout our lives to make sure we don’t ruin our lives.  These include:  Who are you following?  Where are you going?  What will you be doing?  There are consequences to who we allow to influence the direction of our lives.  These can be positive or negative consequences, depending upon where we go and what we do.  That’s why wisely picking your mentor, your tribe and your community is essential.  Surround yourself with people who are following Jesus and join them.  He will help you all go to the right places and do the right things.

Light bulbs depend upon a power source.  Flowers depend upon water.  Humans depend upon oxygen.  Everything in creation depends upon something in order to continue existing and functioning as it was created.  But God does not depend upon anyone or anything for He does not have any needs.  He has all the power, all the wisdom, all the sovereignty, all the perfections from all categories to do all He desires.  He does not need us, but oh, how we need Him!  Let us praise the One Who never came into existence, will never go out of existence and never stops ruling for good our existence as we trust in Jesus.

Our world is not going to get better until we realize we cannot fix ourselves.  The fix is not in more laws or more freedoms.  The fix is not in more penalties or more incentives.  The fix is not in more pre-education or more post-counseling. Whatever entry you want to add to the list … that’s not it either.  The fix is Jesus. Only He can transform us from rebellious, idolatrous sinners into the glorious image-bearers of a loving God we were created to be.  When we turn to Him again and again in faith, He will… Change our minds.  Change our hearts.  Change our lives.  He takes our broken pieces and puts them back together again.

The truth will set you free FROM fearful hearts, false hopes and fleeting happiness that cleverly disguised sin creates.  But only if you know what the truth is when you see it.  False things are often mixed in with true things which leave us mixed up if we can’t tell the difference between the two.  Do you know how to spot a fake?  By knowing what the real thing looks like.  That is why it is so important to fill our hearts and minds with the truth of Scripture, the promises of God, the commands of our King, the words of Jesus, the beauty of the gospel.  The truth will set you free TO enjoy real heart-peace, real hope and real happiness.

Many Christians are slowly being poisoned by the indoctrinating words of the world they take in day after day.  Words that contaminate their minds with fears and fakes that convince them to look away from God for hope and happiness.  If what you’re reading doesn’t encourage you to follow Jesus, stop reading it.  If what you’re watching doesn’t build up your faith in Jesus, stop watching it. If what you’re listening to doesn’t deepen your love for Jesus, stop listening to it.  There is something better.  You and I don’t need to drink poison when there is a fountain that flows with the life-giving water of God’s truth and promises.