We all have hopes dreams, and desires that we would like to achieve. It is good to have aspirations and goals. God knows what they are and will help us achieve them. Psalm 37:4 says, “delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Part of getting what we want, however, is being thankful for what we have. I think of it as, ” be thankful for what you have while you pursue what you want.”

Paul writes in Philippians 4:12,13, ” I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” TLB

No matter where we are on the economic ladder, we all have something for which to be thankful, so let us thank God first then ask for what we want.

Thank you Lord for all that we have. Help us be content while we pursue our dreams. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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I was recently reading a book that referred to a Native American story that goes like this.
A Grandfather told his grandson.

“There is a battle going on inside every human. Including you. It’s a battle of two wolves — a dark and a light wolf. The dark wolf represents envy, arrogance, anxiety, ego, inferiority, regret, greed, self-pity, guilt, false pride, fear, pain, anger, jealousy, rage; the light wolf represents love, peace, humility, kindness, serenity, generosity, trust, tranquility, compassion, empathy, joy, gratitude.”

After some silence, the grandson asks, “Grandpa, which wolf wins?”

The Grandfather responds slowly, “Whichever one you choose to feed.”

I think this story is an interesting parallel to the “Fruit of the Spirit” in Paul’s letter, Galatians 5:19-23, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

This is the battle going on inside each of us; between our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit in us. Which will win? The one we feed.

Dear Lord, help us recognize the conflict inside ourselves and choose to feed and follow the Spirit to live our lives filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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I recently saw a Swedish proverb written on a small tag it that said, “Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I really need it.”

As Christians, we need to remember that sentiment; Not waiting until people deserve it before loving them. Paul tells us that God did just that for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

God didn’t wait for us to solve all our sinful problems before loving us enough to save us. We need to do the same, and love people first, even when they have sin problems, like all of us do.

Dear Lord, you presented the perfect example for us by sending Jesus to save us while we were undeserving sinners. Then Jesus showed the same example by loving and caring for those who had their own sin problems. Help us follow this example and love first rather waiting for people to deserve it. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says to his disciples, “Go and learn what this means; I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Jews of the Old Testament had many rules about what was required in case they sinned. There were specific sacrifices required for different types of sins. The result of this was that people could feel like they were “all right” if they made the required sacrifice, and thereby deserving of God’s favor.

I think what Jesus was trying to convey was that you cannot make yourself “all right.” It is the person who knows that he or she is a sinner, and cannot free him or herself for whom Jesus is looking. When we understand that we are lost without a Savior, we are ready for his mercy, and only by God’s mercy can we be made “all-right,” or “righteous.”

Dear Lord, we are so thankful for the one key difference between Christianity and other religions, which is, You save us; We cannot save ourselves. Help us come to you humbly with this awareness, but also with the confidence of our Salvation by your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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One of the key principles of success is knowing what you are trying to accomplish. Whether it is getting an A on a test, achieving a sales goal, or winning a sporting event, starting with an objective is part of the process.

In some ways this is how God expects us to approach Him. In Matthew 8:13 Jesus tells the Centurion, “let it be done as you have believed,” and in Matthew 9:28 Jesus’ asks the blind man if he believes Jesus can make him see, before he heals him.

There are a number of instances like this in the Bible, with God teaching us that we should be ready to receive.
Psalm 81:10 says, “For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.”

It is quite clear to me from these and other texts, that our part in receiving from God is believing he has the power to provide us anything we can imagine, if he chooses. If we don’t believe He can, we are not doing our part.

Dear Lord, You have control over all things. Help us remember your awesome power, and not let our lack of belief limit Your work in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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