When we read some of the stories in the Old Testament, it sometimes sounds like our modern day reality shows, and soap operas. There are stories of good people who are tempted and fell away, people who do terrible things but then repent and are blessed, people who have tragedies but stay firm in their faith in God, and many other examples that have similarities to some of our modern day situations.

Paul brings this up to the people in the church at Corinth, and in 1 Corinthians 10:6 he writes, “These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, and not be idolaters, as some of them were.”

The many stories in the Old Testament are opportunities for us to learn how to follow God. There are many examples of how God blessed his people when they followed his will, and disciplined them when they went astray.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”

Dear Lord, You provide us a clear path in the Bible, help us prioritize time to read your word, and put it into practice in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Be on your guard against every form of greed”

What is greed? One dictionary definition is “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed”

I think the key words in the definition are “selfish and excessive” When we always focus on what we have and worry excessively about losing it, or diluting it by giving some away, whether it be our money, our time, “our” parking place, “our” position in the line, we are giving in to greed.

To guard against greed, I like to remember this part of a well known hymn, “All that we have is thine alone, a trust O Lord from Thee.”

Dear Lord, help us remember that you gave us everything we have, and your desire is that we use it to love and serve you and our neighbor. Help us always keep this in our minds. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

All of us have our challenges living the Christian life. Some have difficulty truly believing God’s power to control things affecting their lives, others become proud of themselves and believe they can handle everything without God.

The apostle Paul had some problem in his life which he called his “thorn in the flesh.” The Bible does not tell us what this was, but he describes the affect in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 “So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” NLT

So whatever this “thorn in the flesh” weakness God allowed to affect Paul, it was there to weaken him and remind him to put his hope and faith in God’s power, not his own. For others of us, our “thorn” may be a lack of confidence, but in the same way, our hope, faith and confidence should be put in God’s power to bring us through our challenges.

Dear Lord, it is a great source of peace and joy to know that You are the power in our lives. Help us remember this when we are weak or troubled, and put our hope and faith in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen

I do not speak much French, (almost none) however, I ran across this expression and think it is a wonderful concept and description. Joie de Vivre (pronounced; zhwä-də-ˈvēvr) is defined as “a delight in being alive”

I think Psalm 36:7-9 conveys a similar idea, and attributes the cause of this joy for living to a relationship with God.

It says “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”

God is the source of of our Joie de Vivre. When we put our faith and trust in him, we can have a lighter heart and the Peace and Joy God offers.

Dear Lord, thank you for the Peace and Joy you give when we release our burdens to you and live in your “fountain of life.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We celebrate many achievements in our lives, and recognize others when the achieve incredible things.

Luke 10 is the account of Jesus sending 72 disciples out into surrounding towns where Jesus planned to visit. When they returned, they reported with excitement that they had done amazing things and “even the demons obey us when we use your name.”

In modern times we might identify amazing achievements, like solving serious medical conditions, inventing ways to provide clean water in remote areas, or creating ways to provide the internet to the world.

Jesus tells these disciples in Luke 10:19-20, “I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

The message for us in modern times is the same. It is great to accomplish these things, but the thing we should be most joyful about is that we are saved.

Dear Lord, help us remember to be most joyful about the salvation you have provided us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.