Forgiveness is such a sweet blessing. But God does more than forgive! He cleanses and forgets. His love is not metered out or carefully rationed. He pours love upon us if we genuinely seek him as our God and Father. So let's cry out and ask for God's forgiveness and praise the mighty and holy name of The Almighty, confidently knowing that our Father longs to bless us with goodness, mercy, and love.
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.
— Psalm 86:5
"You mean I have to put up with that!?" There are those people in our life that seem to live by that saying. They are that piece of sand from which the pearl is formed. Our great example in this challenge is Jesus. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12 disciples. Remember how patience and gentle Jesus was with them. Let’s use Him as our example.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
— Ephesians 4:2
Dear Lord give me strength and patience, O God that we may be as loving, gentle and patient with others as Jesus was with people during His earthly ministry and you have been with us. In Jesus name, Amen.
Last? Nobody likes to be last. We have a hard enough time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus reverses the rank. The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking the status and notoriety. The most important person is like Jesus himself: willing to give up rank and status and importance to serve. For Jesus, last means first in service and first in the eyes of God.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
— Mark 9:35
Dear Lord, you have made the world wonderful for us and have given your Son to redeem us. How can we ever thank you or repay you for your grace and kindness? Help us serve others with grace and kindness. Give us eyes to see people as you do; not judging by mere appearances, but valuing, serving, and treating people as Jesus does. I Jesus name, Amen
A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard.
Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right
thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light
by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in
frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her
cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up
into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to
exit her car with her hands up.
He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted,
photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a
policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the
booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal
effects.
He said, ''I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind
your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of
you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do'
bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life'license plate holder, the'Follow Me to
Sunday-School'bumper sticker, and thechrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the
trunk; naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car .''
Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
-Matthew 5:16
Dear Lord we pray that our life would show your love in all we say and do. We pray that we won’t say or act in a manor that would make those around us question whether or not we are a Christian. In Jesus Name, Amen
Think of something that is very important to you.
On Decemeber 26 around 8:00 I was to the point of panicking. I couldn’t get a breath and found myself panting trying to get enough little breaths. Nothing seemed to work so I deceided as much as I didn’t want to I needed to go to the ER. So I sent a text to my wife letting her know when she got home from work I needed her to tak e me to the ER. She decided it would be better if Ron took me there and she would meet me there.
One of the first things they did as they took me right in was give me oxygen. Although it wasn’t the answer it sure made things better. I still couldn’t get a full breath but the little breaths I could get help settle the anxiousness of not being able to breath,
After hours of laying there and more test then I can remember the doctor said that my Kidneys had failed and my liver was failing and that I had congestive heart failure. WOW that makes you really think. After another couple of hours they put me in an ambulance and transproted me to Florida Hospital Altimonte where my cardioligist is. The first night after my wife left and I lay there I had a long talk with God. I didn’t bring my Bible with me but the Gideons had been there so I used the Bible that was in my room. It is so neat to see how God works there was a book mark in the Bible it was at
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
- Phil 4:4-8
I would love to say that I wasn’t anxious at all, I was! But in all God really gave me a peace as I lay there knowing that He was in control. I didn’t understand why this was happening but I knew He was there holding my hand along the way. One of the hardest things about being in the hospital was I had to miss Ron and Lauren’s wedding. God was gracious there also. Through friends I was able to hear the wedding in my room. I would have much rather been there but that was the next best thing. After the Wedding and reception I got a huge surprise , My wife in her pretty dress, Charlie in his suit, Ron in his tux and Lauren in her wedding gown came to the hospital to see me complete with the bird seed. What a thrill to see them.
I aske at the beginning to think of something that is important to you right now. After my adventure this past Christmas / New Years I know what is really important and that is my family and friends. I challenge each of you to NEVER take your family or friends for granted. Take time to spend with them and to let them know they are special to you.
Dear Lord we pray that we will all ways be thankful for our friends and family. Help us to never take them for granted. We pray that you will show us ways to let them know we are thankful for them and that we appreciate them. In Jesus name, Amen.
Humble yourselves. Humility is a forgotten virtue. Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it. Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key is to know our place before him and let him put us in the place he chooses.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
— James 4:10
Dear Lord when we think of all that you have done, the incredible universe you have made by your word, we are amazed you invite use into your presence. We are amazed that you even care about our choice of words. Thank you for knowing us and having a plan for our life. Help us to live each day with humility and grace before others as we seek to glorify you in all things. In Jesus name, Amen.
Our actions follow our thoughts like a heat seeking missile follows the exhaust of a jet fighter's engine. So in a day when so much around us trains us to find the negative in life, we must work hard to think and pursue the character, the qualities, and the things of God's goodness.
Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8
Dear Lord, thank you for being better than anything our world can offer us. Thank you for calling us to a higher standard than the world accepts. Thank you for giving us the promise of a better future than any human can imagine. Thank you for giving us a high calling to live up to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
