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.
What We Hear, What God Says
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.”
There Is An Order To Love
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.
The Scale Always Tips
If you put all of my weaknesses on one side of the scale and all of my strengths on the other side of the scale, it’s not even close in comparison. Strength wins easily. See if you agree with me on this. My weaknesses: I don’t have all the right answers. I don’t say all the right words. I don’t make all the right moves. Day after day, there are countless ways in which I am wrong, not right. My strengths: Jesus. The scale always tips to the side of grace! Day after day, He gives me the right stuff I need and forgives me for the wrong stuff I do. Let us rejoice in this good news today: His strength will overcome our weakness.
Grace For Every Step
So… Where do you go from here? What is your next step? Step one is to welcome Jesus into your life for Who He is: Savior, Provider, Counselor, Leader, King, Treasure. If you have never repented of your sinful life apart from Him and received the life that comes with Him, then by faith ask God for this right now. If you really mean it in your heart, He will give it to you. Step two onward is to grow in grace. Step after step, you let Jesus be Who He is … for you. You seek to know Him, follow Him and enjoy Him, letting His peace, hope and joy rule in your heart as He rules your life for your good.
Has He Started That Good Work In You?
Has He started that good work in you? How can you and I know that we have received God’s grace? There are two really good indicators that your faith in Him is genuine: you have a growing hatred for sin and a growing love for Jesus. You don’t just want to be free from the consequences of sin, but sin itself. You don’t just want to have the blessings of God, but God Himself. There is a desire that begins growing inside of you to experience all that God has for you, in this world and the one to come. You believe in Jesus for the first time, and then you believe in Him more fully over time. We grow. That’s how we know.
He Makes Us Into Different People
Faith is saying “yes” to God’s grace by agreeing with Him that you’re a sinner who cannot do anything to make yourself good enough to be accepted by Him, and then by asking Him to begin a good work in you to increasingly change you into a radically new person that is acceptable to Him. Faith is also saying “no” to our old lives of indifference and rebellion to God by turning away from them to Him. We mean it when we say of our sin: “I did it. I regret doing it. Help me not to do it again. Lead me to something better in you.” When that happens… God doesn’t just give us different lives; He makes us into different people.
Grace Is God’s Answer
Grace is God’s answer to the question of how sinners like you and me could ever be welcomed into His presence, His family and His blessing. Then, grace poses a question for us to answer: will you receive it? The gospel of grace is only good news if it is true, if you are included in it, and if you believe it. It is true. You can be included. Do you believe? You can have it all if you believe Jesus is Who the Bible says He is, Jesus did what the Bible says He did, and Jesus will deliver all the Bible says He will. Grace leads us to Jesus. Faith leads us to follow Jesus in loving obedience. Nearness leads us to enjoy real life with Jesus.
Ongoing War Against Sin
As Christians, we are in an ongoing war against our sin, and there are daily occasions in which we lose the battle. This spiritual journey we are on is one in which we have not yet been fully delivered from the presence of sin, so we must fight against it and confess our failings when we lose a skirmish. Ours is a humble and simple cry out for grace: “I did it. I regret doing it. Help me not do it again. Lead me to something better in you.” Because Jesus has already secured the final victory over our sin, there is grace for us. Grace that gives us pardon when we lose the fight, and grace that gives us power to fight on.
God-Glorifying Happiness
How is God glorified through our happiness? There are at least three ways… First, He is glorified when we trust that He knows best how to make us happy, and we lovingly do what He says to bring about our happiness. Second, He is glorified when we thank Him for the good things He gives to us and does for us that make us happy so that He gets credit. Third, He is glorified when we treasure Him as our ultimate source of happiness by delighting not just in His gifts, but in Him as a good and generous and gracious Giver. Trust Him. Thank Him. Treasure Him. This is how God is honored in us and we are happy in Him.
His Plans Are Perfect
It may surprise us. It may confuse us. It may overwhelm us. But when it does, let us rest in knowing that the plan of God is good for us in the end, better than our own preferred ideas, and the best way of doing things to get what we’re both after. The mutual goal for our lives is simple: for God to be glorified in our happiness. We don’t have to choose between God being honored and us being happy. We have to choose between God’s way and our way for getting there. Trust Him today because… His plans are perfect even when we don’t think they are. Our plans are flawed even when we don’t think they are.
Turn On The Light Today
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.
The Myways Of Life
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.
Biggest Thrills And Best Prizes
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.
We Did It, But Jesus Died For It
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.
In The Lord
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.
Told What To Do
Most people don’t like to be told what to do. Our immediate response is usually pushing back or pulling back from those who are giving us unwanted instruction or information. We want to make our own choices for what we will and will not do based on what we like and do not like. But as we trust Jesus more fully, we increasingly… Like to hear His voice. Like to receive His guidance. Like to have Him tell us what to do. Why? Because we know that He loves us and will speak to us about what is best for us. Let us follow Him in faith today, knowing that whatever He has us do, we will like it very much in the end.
If You Do It Out Of
If you do it out of duty, you’ll be resentful. If you do it for attention, you’ll be prideful. If you do it just when it’s convenient, you’ll be neglectful. But… If you do it because of love, you’ll be joyful. Obeying Jesus isn’t a matter of duty, show or convenience; it’s a matter of the heart. Our affection for Him produces our devotion to Him. We don’t say and do the right things because that’s the way we should live, but because that’s the way should love the One who tells us what things are right for us to say and do. May grace continue to change how we feel about Him so that more and more His wants become our wants.
Two Sides Of Faith
Biblical faith has a responding side and a receiving side. Part of faith is responding in obedience. We trust what God says, we trust He will help us do what He says, and we trust that He will be pleased when we do what He says. Part of faith is receiving what God does for us. We trust what God says, we trust He will do what He says, and we trust that we will be pleased when He does what He says. Real faith includes believing in the promises of God and living out the purposes of God because we trust Him. Today, let us confidently do what God tells us to do because we are confident in what God tells us He will do.
New Appetites For Better Things
An evidence that you are a genuine, growing Christian is that you want to be freed from your sin, not just forgiven of it. It’s not just escape from the penalty and consequences of sin that you desire, but escape from the power and control of sin as well. Those who love Jesus will inevitably and increasingly hate their sin. We are not perfect, but we want to be. We will fail, but we wish we wouldn’t. We like some wrong things, but we long for change. Jesus will soon fully deliver us from sin, but until then, let us pray for Him to progressively replace our taste for wrong things with new appetites for the better things He has for us.
