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.

Click Here – to Receive These Messages Every Morning In Your Email Box

Do ever have a thought that appears in your mind, a terrible thought of revenge, rage, envy, greed, or lust, and wonder where it came from? I believe that this is one of the ways we are drawn into temptation by the devil.

Paul teaches us what to do when this occurs, in Colossians 3:5, he says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

How do we put these thoughts to death as Paul describes, we starve and suffocate them from our attention, and change our focus to something better. In Colossians 3:2 Paul says, “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” We should pray for deliverance from the temptation.

Dear Lord, we are human, subject to temptation, and routinely fail to avoid it. Help us, and give us the strength to think of the things of heaven, and kill the sinful thoughts planted in our minds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Click Here – to Receive These Messages Every Morning In Your Email Box

The bible often writes about how as humans we are “slaves to sin.” Without the salvation we have from Jesus, we cannot overcome the influence of temptation in our lives.

Peter writes something interesting in 1 Peter 4:1,2 about how we can overcome sin in our lives. In the Living Bible translation he writes, “Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power, and you won’t be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires but will be anxious to do the will of God.”

I think what he means when he says to have the “same attitude as Christ,” is that no matter how difficult it will be to overcome the desire to do the wrong thing, which is what he means by “be ready to suffer”, once we overcome, then that desire no longer has power over us. It is like a starving person being manipulated by someone who offers him food, but someone with a full stomach cannot be manipulated this way.

Dear Lord, Thank you for saving us from our slavery to sinful desires. Help us have the will power to “suffer” denying our sinful wants so that we can remove that temptation’s power over us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Click Here – to Receive These Messages Every Morning In Your Email Box

In Genesis 12:2 God tells Abram (whom God subsequently renamed Abraham) “I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.”

This is how we should look at the blessings we receive as well. Our intelligence, people skills, and success, or the promotion, pay raise, or bonus at work, are not just things to let us enjoy our lives, they are blessings from God so that we can be blessings to others.

Dear Lord, you have blessed us all with incredible things, our talents, intelligence, wisdom, fame, relationships, families, financial resources, and many other blessings. Help us remember that these are given to us for ourselves, but also so that we may be blessings to others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Click Here – to Receive These Messages Every Morning In Your Email Box

There are many references in the Bible that describe Jesus as the light, and there are a number of ways to think about this. One way came to my mind recently.

My neighborhood has been without electricity the last few days as a result of high winds damaging power lines. Fortunately we have a generator that can power essential parts of our home. In order to set the generator up, I have to change some switches on the circuit breaker panel in my basement. Without the light of a flashlight in the basement, it would be very easy for me to make a mistake with these settings, causing electrical damage to appliances, the generator, or possibly injuring myself or someone else.

In a similar way, without the light of the world, that is Jesus, we do not see things in our world properly, and can make decisions that can cause damage to ourselves and others.

Jesus says in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” And in John 12:35 He says, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

Dear Lord, you are the light of life showing us the way to what is right for our lives, now and eternally. Help us follow you and your teaching as the illumination for the decisions in our lives. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Click Here – to Receive These Messages Every Morning In Your Email Box