Category: Living Faith

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Embracing Your Relationship: Bought to Belong

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you.”

What? Wearing a yoke doesn’t sound like rest! Nor does it sound refreshing. Jesus said He would give us rest, and now He’s telling us to take His yoke and put it on?

I’ve spent weeks researching yokes. I found plenty of information about yokes, but I still felt like I was missing something. I needed to understand why Jesus used the words “My yoke.”

I got a WOW of an answer.

The people listening to Jesus that day would’ve understood what I didn’t. You see, I always pictured Jesus in the yoke with me (or you) every time I read those word. But Jesus wasn’t inviting us to yoke with Him!

I’ve learned there are three clear steps of progression in the relationship between a farmer and his ox.

Please don’t be offended, but to see the spiritual parallel, we need to picture Jesus as the farmer and ourselves as the ox.

1) the relationship begins when the farmer buys the ox.

2) the relationship develops as trust is built.

3) the relationship matures as yokes are introduced.

Today we’ll focus on how the relationship begins.

You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. 

1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a (NLT)

Jesus paid for us with His blood!

We all sin and we all owe a debt for our sin. Death is the price and Jesus paid that price in full. He died in our place! (You can learn more about this by using the link in green at the bottom of the post.)

So, what’s the relationship between us and Jesus?

We belong to Him!

But belonging is only the beginning. Next week we’ll look at step two in the relationship–Building Trust!

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time this week to consider the high price Jesus paid for you.

2 Tell Jesus how you feel about belonging to Him. Does it fill you with fear, resentment, gratitude, something else?

3 Do something special to celebrate your relationship with Jesus.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

John 3: 3-17, Romans 3:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Peter 2:2-3

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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The Promise in The Invitation

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

This series of posts has been progressive. Why am I using the same Scripture Passage each week. I’m aspiring to do more than know the words of these verses. I want to grow in my understanding of what these words mean and how they apply to me.

I have decided I will no longer settle for receiving only a portion of what my Father has for me. How about you?

Quick recap…

Week 1: Jesus said, “Let Me Teach You.”

Week 2: Jesus said, “Come To Me.”

Week 3: Jesus was speaking to “All Who are Weary and Carry Heavy Burdens.”

This Week: Jesus’ Promise.

Look what Jesus says…“Come to Me, and

I will give you rest.“

Jesus promised to give us REST.

REST

to refresh

Strong’s Concordance and Greek Dictionary of the New Testament

Jesus promised, when we come to Him, we will be REFRESHED.

Did you notice the prefix re in the word refresh?

re- prefix

again : anew

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

fresh  adjective

having its original qualities unimpaired

Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

This is about Jesus making us fresh again!

This is about Jesus renewing our abilities!

Why?

So we can do all the good works we were created to do in Christ Jesus!

So we will not grow weary and give up!

Next week we’re going to take our first step into the process of receiving the rest Jesus has for us.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time this week to think about all the areas of your life where you want and/or need rest; places you need Jesus to make you fresh again.

2 Talk to Jesus about those places and your need for Him to refresh you.

3 Ask Jesus to prepare your heart and mind for the process of receiving the rest only He can give.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Galatians 6:9, & Ephesians 2:10 & 3:14-20

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Weary? Want to Drop It All and Run?

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Last week we looked at Jesus’ invitation, but who was He talking to when He said “Come to Me”?

“ALL of you who are weary.”

weary  adjective

1: exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness

Miriam Webster online dictionary

Does weary describe you?

If so, Jesus is speaking to you!

“ALL of you who carry heavy burdens.”

carry  verb

1: to support and take from one place to another

Miriam Webter online thesaurus

What are you carrying?

burden  noun

1a: something that is carried : LOAD

b: DUTY, 

RESPONSIBILITY

Miriam Webster online dictionary

Are your burdens heavy?

If so, Jesus is speaking to you!

Next week we’re going to look at Jesus’ promise to all who accept His invitation to come to Him.

Between Now and Then…

1 Take time to make a list of the things you are currently carrying. These should include physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens.

2 Take Jesus up on His invitation. Go to Him. Take your list of burdens with you. Ask Him to show you which things on your list are ones He has given you to carry and which ones He did not.

3 Listen and be alert for His answer.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 34:1-3 & 1 Peter 5:7

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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It’s an Invitation; Not a Command!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Yes, this is the same Scripture passage we used last week. We’re going to camp here for a while. Why? There’s a lot of meat to chew in these three verses, so let’s slow down, take little bites, and chew each one well before swallowing.

Last week we looked at, “Let me teach you,” and I’ve spent this week asking why I needed Him to point this out to me. He knows I read His word every day.

I’m glad He answered, but I didn’t like the answer. Turns out I’ve allowed myself to develop a bad habit.

Yes, I read my Bible, but somewhere along the way I let reading His word become more about gaining Bible knowledge than being with Jesus.

I let myself forget reading God’s word is only the starting point for spending my day with Him.

Learning from Jesus is not about me reading my Bible. It’s about spending my days allowing Him to show me how to apply and practice what He tells me in His word.

Living the life He’s given me means being with Him and learning from Him. Being aware of Him throughout the entirety of my day, and imitating Him.

I think that’s why Jesus started His invitation with these words, “Come to Me.”

Jesus wants to be our Teacher, but we must come to Him first. It’s about more than Him imparting knowledge. It’s about us wanting to learn from Him. It’s about Him sharing His thoughts and ways with us and us spending our days practicing what He shares.

No one has ever learned to walk because their parents handed them a how-to manual or gave them a lecture on how to walk. In fact, that’s outright silliness!

So why would we think learning to walk with Jesus is only about reading our Bible and listening to others tell us what they learned from Jesus?

We learn to walk by watching others walk. We learn to walk by practicing what we see others doing when they walk. Mastery doesn’t come to us overnight, but with continual practice. We gradually move from being toddlers to walkers.

If we want to learn to live and walk like Jesus, we must spend our days with Jesus. We must practice being aware of Him and His ways and imitating Him. Only then, will we learn to live and walk like Jesus!

We practice our way to mastery.

Practice requires perseverance and patience.

BE AWARE!

Sometimes things happen and the pain creates unintentional compensation and even more pain. For example, my knee was injured several years ago. I went to the doctor and was told it would heal on it’s own. A year later it was not better; it was actually unbearably painful by that time.

Why am I telling you this? I spent months in physical therapy where I was taught how to walk…again! I had compensated for the pain in my right knee until the entire right side of my body was out of alignment. Can anyone say ouch?!

I had practiced walking incorrectly for over a year and my body had to be retrained. This has taught me something important. Even long time Jesus-followers can find themselves needing to learn how to walk…again. A hurt, a loss, anxiety, and disappointment can be a pain which leads to a compensation which leads to us being out of alignment in our walk with our Savior.

Let’s stop there. I’ll see you next week. We’re going to take a closer look at the people Jesus is talking to in these verses. Until then…

1-Take time to notice how aware you are of Jesus throughout the entirety of your day.

2-Honestly assess your walk with Jesus. Are you already a Jesus-follower? If not, He’s calling you to Come to Him. Are you are a Jesus-follower? If so, He’s calling you to Come to Him.

3-Ask Him to show you clearly what it is He wants you to see of Him and begin practicing. Don’t stop when you fall. He’s got you by the hand. Just keep practicing!

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 37:24, Ephesians 5:1

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

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New Year and New Lessons

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

I’ve read these verses so many times over the years, but there were four little words Jesus spoke deeper into my heart this week. Read what He said.

“Let Me teach you.”

Jesus – Matthew 11:29 (NLT)

Doesn’t that tug at your heart? I don’t know why I never noticed it before, but I felt like I could actually hear Him imploring me to LET HIM TEACH ME.

I’ve spent some time confessing those times I’ve purposely resisted learning from Him – lessons I knew would require a change I didn’t want to make, so I skipped them. Yes, I know how awful that sounds (I almost deleted it).

I truly believe Jesus has only my best interest at heart, so…

I’ve asked Him to make me willing to learn what He wants to teach me.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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JOY TO THE WORLD…THE LORD HAS COME!!!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

John 1:1-14

Key Verse:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.  John 3:16-18 (NLT)

I know, it’s Christmas Eve and you have things to do!

Thank you taking the time to spend a few minutes with me.

This is a wonderful season of celebration for all Jesus-followers. Why?

Jesus is THE Christ of Christmas!

He’s the Messiah, the Christ, promised long ago.

The ONE by whom all mankind can be saved.

He saves us from eternal separation from God, our Creator.

Jesus is Immanuel.

He’s God with us in the flesh!

God came to earth as a baby, lived his life without ever committing a sin, willingly died a gruesome death, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and was resurrected to life again on the third day.

He did all of this because He loves us.

FYI: We sin because we’re sinners, and our sin separates us from the Holy God who created us. But He loves us so much, He chose to make the first move toward reconciliation. That just means He made a way for our relationship with Him to be restored.

Jesus is living in heaven right now! He’s preparing a place for everyone who chooses to believe in Him and become Jesus-followers.

It sounds too simple, right?!

Just choose to believe and follow Jesus and your eternity is forever changed.

Or maybe you’re thinking it sounds too hard to give up your own way of living and follow Jesus.

Well, there’s more Good News!

The moment we choose to believe in Jesus, His Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He is our Helper! He helps us understand what we read in our Bibles about who God is and who we are as Jesus-followers. He opens our eyes to the choices we didn’t see we could make before; choices that seemed unavailable before we were Jesus-followers.

How many times have you said, “I didn’t have a choice.”?

Jesus-followers have choices!

It’s one of the many benefits of being a follower.

It’s part of our freedom in Jesus.

We’re freed from living a life of conformity. We’re freed from following our own emotions or the ways of this world when we become Jesus-followers.

Yes, it takes practice to live in freedom. I’m learning it’s best to pause and pray every time I find myself thinking there’s only one choice. In fact, I’m learning I must practice the pause and pray way of living in every circumstance. Why?

Even good things are not always God’s best thing for me to have or do or be.

Wait! We’ll save that truth for another time. For now, I’ll just say…

Merry Christmas!

May your celebration of Christ overflow with all the joy that comes with belonging to Jesus!

Digging Deeper:

Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13,

This is a link to a message explaining the chain reaction we experience when we choose to live a life of trusting Jesus. Sunday 9am Service 12/20 Trust Me Week 3 – YouTube

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Here’s a link to Mary Did You Know sung by Pentatonix. It was one of my Daddy’s favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy! pentatonix mary did you know – Bing

Not all members of Pentatonix are Jesus-followers, but they sing a lot of Christmas songs. Would you join me in praying for them to come to know, trust, and follow the Christ of Christmas they sing about in their songs?

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Love, Lights, Action!

Today’s Scripture Passage:

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

We’ve all experienced that moment when we first turned off the light and we couldn’t see. That moment when we must give our eyes time to adjust to the darkness. How does that happen? Our pupils expand to allow more light to enter our eyes.

Our pupils are designed to regulate the amount of light entering our eyes.

What happens when we go from darkness to light? Our expanded pupils allow too much light into our eyes and creates a glare. Glare blocks our ability to see clearly.

This is the same thing that happens to us, and others, when the light of Jesus first shines into the dark places of our lives.

Sad truth? The brighter the light of Jesus is in us, the greater the possibility those who don’t know Him will either avoid us or lash out against His light in us.

Even worse, this also happens among those of us who are Jesus-followers. I’m talking about those times when our thought processes lead to words and choices that don’t fully align with what God’s word says is right. I can be offended by the light of Jesus in others when it challenges the way I think, speak, and act. I’ve even caught myself trying to defend those choices!

Moses wore a veil after he spent time in the presence of the LORD. Wearing the veil was for the benefit of the people. Moses didn’t totally cover the LORD’s light; he just exposed them to a gentler dose of light!

Okay, we’re back to where we started. It was Moses’ exposure to the Light of the LORD that caused his countenance to shine so brightly. The same is true for us.

Our continual exposure to the Light of Jesus makes our lives shine brightly.

Walking by Holy Spirit and living our lives according to God’s word exposes the dark places in our lives to His light.

Time spent in God’s word transforms the way we think about God, others, and ourselves, and transforms our choices.

Transformed by the saving love of Jesus and His word, we become lights whose actions help others see and praise our heavenly Father.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Exodus 34:29-35 & Mark 4:21-22

This links you to a wonderful work written by Robert Boyd Munger in 1951. Microsoft Word – 2010-06-22 My Heart Christs Home – Final.doc (usna.edu)

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Light and dark adaptation in human eye | Fun Science

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The Joy Challenge: Loving Well

Today’s Scripture Passage:

John 14:15-21

Key Verse:

“If you love me, obey my commandments.  John 14:15 (NLT)

And here we are at Step Three: Loving God and loving others.

Let me just say right off the bat, I don’t love well. I want to. It’s a great desire of mine and something I’ve prayed for the ability to do well for the better part of my adult life.

As a child, I found it easy to love the people in my life. They loved me and we lived our lives thinking the same things were right or wrong, etc..

It was only as I grew up and encountered people who thought differently, lived differently, and criticized my choices that I began to realize love is about more than a feeling.

Loving God means living my life choosing to do what He says is right.

I can’t love others apart from God.

I can’t even love God without His help.

God is love. Period. There is no qualifier here. Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

If we want to love well…

we must grasp the truth that God is love and our ability to love comes from Him.

Jesus told us how to love: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13 (NLT)

Yes, He literally died to save our souls from eternal separation from God, but I don’t think this is the only way to lay down one’s life for another.

The minutes of our days add up to our life. How we spend those minutes reflects who it is we’re living to please.

Now, before you spiral headlong down a rabbit hole of panic, let’s look at Jesus’ life choices to gain a deeper understanding of how to know the way to love others. Not loving them from a formula but as individuals.

Jesus didn’t do for the people what they wanted Him to do.

He did what the Father told Him to do.

Only the Father knows what people really need… When we choose to do what He says is right, we love both God and others well.

Everyone, including the disciples, thought Jesus was there to conquer Rome. Nope! He did something even better. He conquered Sin and Death. Woot! Woot!

So, how do we know what God’s next right thing is for us to do?

He gave us two gifts for that very purpose.

Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.

Jesus living in us and God’s written word.

Holy Spirit helps us understand what we read in God’s word.

Holy Spirit helps us remember what we read so we can choose God’s way for us.

Misunderstanding what we read will cause us to apply God’s word from our own perspective.

Forgetting what we’ve read in God’s word will leave us following our own way instead of God’s.

God’s word transforms the way we think.

God’s word makes it possible for us to know what He wants, and agree what He wants is good, satisfying and able to succeed.

When we truly agree with God, we choose to do what He says is right and good. That’s when we are living each moment of our lives loving well!

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

John 15:30-16:17, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:15 & Hebrews 12:2-4

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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The Joy Challenge: Casting Off

Today’s Scripture Passage:

I Peter 5:6-11

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:6-8 (NLT)

Last week we looked at Step One of The Joy Challenge: Thanksgiving and Praise.

Today we’re going to dig deeper into Step Two of the Joy Challenge: Cast all your cares on Jesus.

God’s word is filled with warnings about worry, anxiety, fretting, burdens, troubles, and the cares of this world. Why?

He knows those things not only weigh us down, but they will gradually consume our every thought. They grow bigger and bigger, and heavier and heavier, until they conceal His presence and goodness in our lives.

In today’s Scripture, Peter reminds us to

(1) be humble,

(2) give God all our worries and cares, and

(3) stay alert.

The order of these verses is important!

We may tell God about our troubles, but we won’t give them to Him unless we’re humble. My Grandma used to say, “Take it to the LORD and leave it there.” It takes humility to leave our worries and care with Jesus. It takes trust.

We have to believe God cares about us before we’ll give our worries and cares to Him.

Worries and cares endanger us because they distract us. We have an enemy. He wants to destroy our lives. He wants to rob us of anything good God has for us. We need to get rid of the distractions and stay alert!

Our enemy cannot take our salvation, but we can lose the joy of our salvation. We lose our joy when we allow the cares of this world to consume our lives. I’ve experienced that loss of joy, and like King David in Psalm 51, I had to ask the LORD to restore to me the joy of His salvation. He retored my joy; He’ll restore yours too! All you have to do is ask.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Digging Deeper:

Nahum 1:7, Matthew 6:31-34, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 13:18-23, Ephesians 6:10-18, Philippians 4:6-7

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

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The Joy Challenge: Thanksgiving and Praise

Today’s Scripture Passage:

Psalm 100

Key Verse:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:4-5 (NLT)

Last week I included a Joy Challenge at the end of the post.

While working on Step One of The Joy Challenge, I gained a deeper understanding of just how important it is to return to the foundation of my faith on a continuous loop.

Continuously returning to a place of being filled up with the joy that comes from pausing to delight in who God is. Purposely remembering all He has already done for me. Looking for evidence of the good things He is currently doing in my life. An intentional refocusing of my attention from all other relationships and every circumstance. Stilling in His presence and letting go of everything swirling through my mind and smothering my soul. Returning to a place of wonder and delight in the One who has saved me. Remembering the attributes and benefits which first caught my attention.

I get it! This is not new information. But somewhere along the way, I’ve unintentionally allowed myself to skim through the thanksgiving and praise portion of my time with the LORD. Yes, I was reading my Bible. Yes, I was seeking a word of direction from Him. But, if I’m honest, both of those are more about me. I was there to receive. Neither was about being there just to enjoy the together time. I was slowly allowing the cares of this world to dim my delight in HIM and just being in His presence.

Today’s verses are great reminders of how we’re to ENTER into His presence. ENTER is an action word. It requires intention.

Today’s verses also remind us we’re not to go into His presence empty handed. We’re to enter with THANKSGIVING and PRAISE. How appropriate it is the LORD has brought us to this place of remembering these truths today – Thanksgiving Day 2020!

It’s important for us to remember those things He has done for us, to call them by name, and carry our thanks with us when we ENTER His presence. There are so many things to be thankful for, if we’ll just turn our eyes from the cares of this world to see them.

Genuine thanksgiving leads to praise. Everything the LORD does for us and everything He gives to us reveals more of who He is. His gifts reveal His attributes. And the more we see of Him, the easier it is to recognize His gifts. His presence becomes tangible and His love evident. We can then ENTER His presence with praises for who He is. Igniting our love for Him and finding our joy restored as we ENTER His presence with THANKSGIVING and PRAISE.

LORD, we’re so thankful to be citizens of Your Kingdom. We’re thank You for the privilege of being your representative in the foreign land we live in now. Help us to grow in our relationship with You, so we will represent You well. Give us compassion and courage and teach us to love those around us as You love them. We want to love as citizens of Heavens and not citizens of this world!

Here’s a piano and lyric link to an old hymn with wonderful lyrics appropriate for Step One in The Joy Challenge. Hymn: Turn your eyes upon Jesus (hymnal.net)

Here’s a YouTube video to the same hymn . Hillsong – Turn your eyes upon Jesus (HD with lyrics) (Best Worship Song to Jesus) – YouTube

Digging Deeper:

Psalm 37: 1-7 & Psalm 46:1-11,

If you have not yet met Jesus, you can meet Him today. He created you. He loves you. He wants you to be a part of His family. I encourage you to step into the life He created you to live. You will still have the troubles of this world, but you will no longer be facing them alone. I’m praying for you! https://peacewithgod.net/mobile/?utm_source=Microsoft&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=HowToGoToHeaven&utm_campaign=USPWGMobileSearchMic

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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