Sometimes reading different bible translations helps with our understanding of the message, or gives us a different way of looking at it.

The New Living Translation NLT of Psalm 37:3 gives us a great and concise formula for how we should live and a promise of the outcome. It says, “Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.”

This is a pretty simple and straight forward message by which to live.

Dear Lord, help us truly put our trust in you and be good, by sharing your love with others. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

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Does your life look like what is described here in Galatians 5:22, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

If so, Praise the Lord! Take on the mission to spread this fruit of the Spirit with others.

For the rest of us, Luke 11:13 tells us to ask for God’s spirit, “.. how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Dear Lord, When we look for that missing thing that will make us happy, help us remember that it is You. Give us your spirit so that we may experience lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. And use these gifts to spread your Good News and glorify you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Have you noticed how much our “state of mind” affects what we think about events, our expectations, and how we treat others. For instance, if things are going well for us, we tend to have a positive “state of mind,” have positive expectations, and tend to be upbeat and positive with other people. When we are in a negative “state,” just the opposite tends to occur.

I would argue that we can control our “state of mind” by taking control of our thoughts. For example, our state of mind can quickly change when something tragic, or something fantastic occurs in our lives. So if some external event can change our thoughts, our own conscious choice to change our thoughts can do the same.

Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

I use two steps to try to get myself into the right state of mind when events are dragging me down. I first look at all the things for which I have to be thankful, and they are many. It is nearly impossible to be in a bad state when we are truly thankful. Then I pray and put my trust in God to lead me through my challenges.

The Bible tells us these things in many places. Here are a few to lean on.

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10

“Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Dear Lord, Help us take control of our “state of mind” with thankful hearts and confidence in your unlimited power to overcome any challenge we face. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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It is not difficult to do enough to get to Heaven……..It is impossible.

This is a bit of a play on words, but it is clear that we don’t “do” anything to be saved. God is the doer, he saves us by his grace through our faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot save ourselves.

I am reemphasizing this truth because I have what may be a slightly different perspective on the story of the rich man that is recorded in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18. In the story, a rich man comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. The man said he had obeyed all the commandments since he was a child. Jesus tells him, “go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Jesus then tells his disciples that it is harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

What I see in this story is that Jesus told the rich man, and is telling us, to follow him as our first priority, and put everything else below. The reason it is more difficult for a rich person is the common tendency to rely on riches as their “god.” Their riches are what they rely on to solve their problems, make them happy, and give them peace and security. It is also what they often spend their time and energy thinking about. It doesn’t take a lot of riches to fall into this trap.

Dear Lord, it is not only difficult for the rich man, but also for us to rely on you more than ourselves and our money. We often believe intellectually that you are there with unlimited power to save and support us, but we don’t always put this belief into practice. Help us remember to put our trust in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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There is a popular author whose thesis is that in order to achieve things in life, we need to make ourselves vulnerable. We have to put our ideas out in public and risk being criticized. For most people, this is a frightening idea.

In a similar way, to grow and be everything God wants us to be as Christians, we need to do the same thing; to live our lives openly as Christians without excuse or apology. The difference is that we know God is there supporting us when we make ourselves vulnerable for him.

Psalm 25:3 says, “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the assurance that you, the most powerful force in existence, are there to support us when we honor you. Help us trust in you and live our lives as Christian examples, glorifying you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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