In Christ, we have the power to choose which set of clothes to wear today. Do we wear the old stinky clothes of our former life? Or do we put on the clean sweet-smelling garments of our new life in Christ? Seems an easy choice, yet we often choose the former. What have you picked out to wear today?
Many in our world today strive and labor to fill their homes with beautiful decor and modern technology. But do they spend any energy on filling them with hospitality, or faith, or prayer, or love? What kind of house are you building?
Paul prayed that the Ephesians would know the fulness of the Godhead, that Father, Son and Spirit would give them inner power, assurance and strong love. We can learn from Paul how to pray Trinitarian prayers that move us to deeper understanding.
God told the prophet Isaiah things that still ring in the ears of every believer. When I read these words from our Lord, my only response is worship.
Starting every day by reading the Bible is a sound investment. Nearly every other thing we spend our time and effort on will wither and fade, but not the Word. It will stand for eternity. Read the Bible! It pays dividends today and will change your tomorrow.
Survivors often don’t know how to really thrive. They are paranoid about doing more than maintain, thinking that trouble will come again soon. God gave Isaiah this word for the survivors in Jerusalem: you will not only escape, you will put down roots, grow and flourish. You will thrive! Is it time for you to thrive?
Receiving Christ we are freed from slavery to sin and from the condemnation of the law. Why would we waste this freedom to go back to living as slaves? No, we are free now to willingly follow Christ our Redeemer and to love God and others as He directs. Beware of flaunting this freedom with permissiveness or losing it to legalism. You have been set free to follow Christ.
No wonder God described David as a man after His own heart. Perhaps Augustine was meditating on this verse when he said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” Does your heart cry out for God like David’s did? Does your soul thirst for the living Lord?
Receiving Jesus we are prompted to call God by the name His Son uses, “Abba, Father.” Abba (Aramaic for “daddy.” Two simple syllables easily spoken by the youngest child- “Ab-ba.” Found in Ab-raham’s name – “Father of Nations). In this verse we see the Trinity revealed: God sending, the Son providing, the Spirit prompting… all so that we who are distant from God may be brought near. And so, we can pray “Our Father, which art in heaven…”
“Perfect” peace. Not partial or mixed, but whole, complete peace. The Hebrews called this shalom. For God to keep us in this state we must “take every thought captive” to bring our thinking into focus on Him. Pulling our thoughts from self-talking worry to talking to God in prayer. Emptying ourselves of any thought that isn’t surrendered to Christ until only thoughts of Him remain. Christ is our peace.