Since all have sinned

Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [And is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction. Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. Romans 3:22, 23 (AMP)

'Since all have sinned', that means me, you and every other person living on this earth! Yes, we are all sinners. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Already today, and it is only 8 o'clock in the morning, I have caused offense to someone in our family! I have sinned. I have fallen short. 

Next step, ask God to forgive me for my words and to soften my heart and help me to deliver a sincere apology. I know God can help me. I can confidently rely on Him. He has done it for me many times before!

Once I have delivered the apology, I will remind myself that because I have chosen to make Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour of my life, I am made righteous in God's eyes. I am not going to go around all day feeling condemned about what I have done. I know there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). I am a mere human who makes many mistakes, however Jesus is perfect. Jesus is the grace I need to live as I will continue to be a sinner until I get to heaven. Jesus is the change that will continue in my heart as I learn daily how to become more like Him. Jesus is the answer to sin.

Questions for today, what does the phrase 'since all have sinned' mean to you? Is this a phrase that causes you offense? Is this a phrase that fills you with guilt and condemnation? Why not talk to Jesus today and accept the grace He has ready just for you?

Cultivate thankfulness

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ - the Message - have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives - words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. Colossians 3:15-17 (MSG)

The phrase 'cultivate thankfulness' suggests to me that sometimes 'thankfulness' isn't the attitude we have in response to some circumstances. Rather, thankfulness is an attitude that we sometimes need to choose to have. Sometimes, we may have to learn how to be thankful, to indeed learn how to 'thank God the Father every step of the way.'

In my own life, there have been many times when undesirable circumstances have been thrust upon me, and thankfulness has certainly not been the attitude that I have first adopted.  Often I have initially responded with disappointment, anger and fear. However what I have found, is that if I take the time to take the time to seek God, to open my bible and read what God has to say about the circumstance and 'let the Word of Christ have the run of my house'  I can start on the path of cultivating thankfulness.

One time that comes to mind is when our daughter was first diagnosed with a brain tumour. The first 2 days were full of shock, tears, anger and crying out to God. On day 3, I clearly remember an early morning ride on my bike, screaming out to God as I rode, asking him why this is happening to our beautiful 3 year old girl. Thirty minutes later when I returned home from my ride, I had come to a place where I could quietly journal all I had to be thankful for in this devastating circumstance. I managed to write a list of 22 things that I was thankful for. Some were mundane, such as snacks for school lunches were made and in the freezer. Some were critical, such as people he had surrounded us to ensure our daughter got the best care possible. This list enabled me to see that despite our circumstances, God was in the midst, He had gone before us, He had made a way for us to go through the circumstance and come out the other side. 

Question for today, is there a circumstance that you are facing that you are finding is difficult to be thankful for? Why not ask Jesus to help you cultivate thankfulness in this circumstance? Ask Him to direct you to scripture in His word to encourage you at this time.

But let him who glories glory in this

Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the rich person who is rich [in physical gratification and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] riches. But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognising My character] that I am the Lord, who practices loving-kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23,24 (AMP)

This morning as I read this scripture I was again challenged with the thought of how differently God views things. It can be so easy to get caught up in what we need to do, what we know and what we have, that we can forget the heart of God. 

Even with the gifts God has given us, sometimes we can get swept away with the way in which God is using our gifts for His purpose, that we completely forget to acknowledge God as the source of that gift, and acknowledge that God gives us the opportunities to use the gift for His purposes. 

It is His heart that He wants us to understand. It is His character He wants us to emulate in our every day life. When we think about Him, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, He wants us to bubble over with joy, knowing that He is showering us in His unconditional love.

My prayer for today ... Thank you God that you have reminded me today that it is knowing you as Lord of my life, that should bring me the greatest joy. Please forgive me for the times I have looked to people and things other than you to bring me joy. Thank you that through Jesus I can get to know more of your character. Please help me to be more like you. In Jesus Name, Amen

A question for today .... what is it that you are 'glorying' in today? Is some heart adjustment needed? Remember, there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, He loves you.

Let's go outside

So let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is - not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name. Hebrews 13:13-15 The Message

I find that God is continually challenging me more and more to step outside my comfort zone of 'safe Christianity'. I have no problems being in a public place, praying for and with family or friends who are Christians. For example if one of our children gets hurt at the park, prayer is almost always top of the list. I guess I have no fear of rejection from those who already have a relationship with Jesus.

However, for me, that fear of rejection strikes 'big time' when I am in the community and want to share my faith or pray for some one who may possibly not have a relationship with Jesus. What is the reason for this? Why, after all these years of being a Christian do I not always have the boldness and courage to speak out about Jesus? Why after all Jesus has done for my family and I am I still hesitant to share about His goodness and faithfulness in everyday conversations? Have I spent too much time in the 'insider world' and not enough time out in the world feeling the pain and desperation?

These are big 'life purpose' questions. I don't know if it is the same for you, maybe you have no problems speaking out about Jesus, and well done if that is how it is for you. For anyone else out there who has this fear like me, let's pray today and ask Jesus for boldness to speak out about Him. Let's remember that He is always with us. Let's remember that His Holy Spirit is available to guide our conversations. Let's remember to praise Him all day long. Let's remember that the gift of eternal life is the best gift anyone can receive and we need to help people hear about it.

Are you tired?

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.  Matthew 11:28 - 30 The Message

I don't know about you, but I know for myself so many times the answer to the first two questions is yes, I am tired, yes, I am worn out! It seems that sometimes 'life' just picks us up and carry's us away, unless we purposefully seek Jesus and His plan for us. 

Nowadays when I am feeling tired and worn out, if I have the insight to recognize these feelings before I reach the point of utter exhaustion, I do mostly make the choice to 'get away with Jesus' and allow Him to help me 'recover my life.' In practical terms getting away with Jesus may mean just sitting on a chair and saying, 'Enough Jesus, I can't do anymore, I need your strength to help me through the next hour,  day etc'.  

It is about me making a choice and taking the time to acknowledge I can't do it myself. I need Jesus. He knows what is best. He knows what is needed now. He has gone before me in this situation, this circumstance. He wants me to walk with Him and work with Him. 

Thank you Jesus that we can come to you any time, any place, anywhere, and you are always there waiting for us. Thank you that when we 'keep company with you' we do indeed 'learn to live freely and lightly.'

How would you answer the first three questions in this passage of scripture? Do you need to take time today, maybe even right now, to stop and 'get away with Jesus', to surrender your life? to surrender whatever is making you tired and worn out? He is waiting to keep company with you you.

Hoping confidently in Him when you can't

Open the gates that the [uncompromisingly] righteous nation which keeps her faith and her troth [with God] may enter in. You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on you, because He commits himself to You, leans on You and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock (the Rock of Ages). 

Isaiah 26:2-3 (AMP)

I was led to this scripture whilst reading 'Names of God' by Nathan Stone. I love the way the amplified version of this scripture expands on the word 'trust' - committing yourself to God; leaning on God, hoping confidently in God. 

For me, I have many things in my life that I am trusting God for. I find that it is very difficult to continually hope confidently in God especially when the physical answer to prayer is yet to be seen. Some days it is no problem, I am full of faith and expectancy. Other days it is definitely a battle within my mind to take hold of the victory in faith in Jesus name.

It is on those challenging days that I use the following strategies to build my faith:
1. Surrendering the 'thing' completely to God. I literally say to Him, 'this' is yours, I don't want to carry it around any more. You are sovereign, 'it' belongs to you.
2. Sing songs of worship that declare God's goodness and faithfulness.
3. Re-read the specific promises God has given me relating to that area and/or seek out scriptures declaring God's truth regarding this matter.

By the end of this 'faith building' I am back at the place where I can again hope confidently in Him, ever grateful that Jesus is ever present in my life.

Question for today, is there something in your life that you have finding it hard to hope confidently in God for? Why not ask God to give you a strategy for getting back to that place of being able to completely trust Him? He is waiting for you to ask and He is willing and able.