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Too many of us live as if we are still imprisoned by our sin, sorrow and struggles with no way out of the cell that confines us. Too often we let regrets from the past, imperfections in the present and fears of the future enslave us as if we are helpless and hopeless to do anything about them. Too soon we give up and give in when victory has already been secured and is almost ready to be seen. Jesus has made amends for our past, makes provision for our present and will make a way for our future until we have been fully delivered from all fears, foes and faults. Follow Jesus right out of that cell today. You have been set free.

Let’s be honest: In an ever-churning sea of distraction, we are vulnerable to forgetfulness. We forget Who God is and what God does and what God says about what we are to do and who we are in Christ. We forget His plans. We forget His promises. We forget His provision. We forget His power. We forget His presence. We forget His preciousness. It is essential that we fill our lives with things that redirect our attention to Him and rekindle our affection for Him. We need reminders that He is for us and He is with us. Today, you will think a lot about tasks, troubles, and things. As you do, be sure to think about God.

How many of these we have and what we do with them differs, but we all get 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week and 365 days in a year. What our enemy wants us to do is fill them up with vain pursuits. We have countless options and distractions available to steal our attention. Rather than scrolling and clicking and watching and recreating our lives away on things that don’t matter, Jesus is calling us into something better. Namely, to glorify God by experiencing real joy in Him and helping others experience it too. So… While we still have time, let us make the most of it by living out our big-picture purpose.

The Bible is a light that illuminates dark places. When you read it or hear it, it lights up the darkness of… Your heart. Your path. Your witness. Your life. It exposes the sinfulness of your heart so you can go to Jesus for forgiveness. It shows you the pitfalls of the path you are on so you can follow Jesus safely to where you are meant to go. It brightens your witness before other people as you go so you can point them through your good works to the hope and happiness you have in Jesus. It shines encouragement into your life so that you can keep going because of the promises of Jesus. So… turn on the light today.

God has given spiritual and physical gifts to each member of His family to be used in serving others. We steward His grace by using our “time, talent and treasure” to extend His help and express His love to the people in our lives. God graciously does at least six things as we receive and use what He blesses us with: He gives us these gifts, brings us enjoyment as we use these gifts, fulfills a divine purpose with these gifts, blesses others by these gifts, brings about eternal results from these gifts, and glorifies Himself through these gifts. Therefore, let us aspire by grace to do the very best we can with what we have been given.

God has mapped out our lives in such a way that we can be all that we were made to be, do all we were made to do and enjoy all that we were made to enjoy in Him. Our problem is that we often follow a map of our own design instead of His. We detour away from the narrow road He has called us to and spend too much time traveling the myways of life. Ours is truly a road that leads to nowhere. At least nowhere that is good for us when we get there. But here’s good news: God allows u-turns! There is grace for misguided people like us. Today, seek God, and He will make your path straight to where it needs to go.

Temptation often invites us to sin in two ways. The first is like a carny barking at us to “Step right up” for a chance to have a thrilling experience or win a desirable prize that is never worth it in the end. The second is like a boat at sea gently rocking us back and forth until we have drifted to sleep in indifference to God’s better ways. Whether it shouts or whispers, temptation beckons us to look away from Jesus, love something more than Jesus, and live for a substitute for Jesus. By grace, we can resist by reminding ourselves that the biggest thrills and the best prizes are enjoyed by those who are anchored to Him.

An incredible burden is lifted when we rest in the forgiveness that is ours in Jesus. We can apologize for our shortcomings and admit our wrongdoings because His grace covers them all. Every wrong thought. Every wrong attitude. Every wrong motive. Every wrong word. Every wrong action. We’re not perfect, and we don’t have to pretend to be. Yes, we strive by grace to grow into the new people Jesus is remaking us into, but we don’t have to fake it, hide it or rationalize it when we fail. We can own it because of this glorious truth: it is forgiven. Move on from sin and shame… We did it, but Jesus died for it.

Entertainment has an agenda, and it’s often not just to entertain. While Christians have varying convictions on what they should and should not be entertained by, all of us need to be cautious of the influence that movies, music, books, podcasts and so forth have on us. Much of the events and content that is available to entertain us glorifies sin and desensitizes us to sin. It makes… Wrong things look right. Holy things look comical. Forbidden things look acceptable. Godly things look foolish. Bad things look good. So, let us consider turning off those influences that turn us away from loving and following Jesus.

As Christians, what we do needs to be grounded in what Jesus graciously has done, is doing and will do for us. Otherwise, it will become a joyless, hopeless burden on us. It’s not just “be strong,” it’s “be strong in the Lord.” It’s not just “rejoice,” it’s “rejoice in the Lord.” It’s not just “hope,” it’s “hope in the Lord.” It’s not just “boast,” it’s “boast in the Lord.” It’s not just “have faith,” it’s “have faith in the Lord.” It’s not just “stand fast,” it’s “stand fast in the Lord.” Self-confidence and self-effort will sooner or later lead to self-despair and self-destruction. Remember: It’s not about trying really hard; it’s about relying on the Lord.