I am told that horses can tell where the rider is looking, and good equestrian riders guide their horses just by looking where they want to go. Similarly, with many activities, race driving, flying, skiing, and many others, where one looks is where he or she will end up going, whether that is a good direction or not. A skier focusing on the obstacle is likely to hit it.

In a similar way, In Hebrews 12:1-2 Paul tells us, ” ..let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, on his example, his will, and on being with him, we will avoid and overcome the obstacles that would lead us astray.

Dear Lord, You are our hope and salvation. Help us keep our eyes on you so that we may run the race you put before us that leads to you. In Jesus name. Amen.

I heard someone pose this question once, and it really made me think.

What are you asking for that is impossible without God’s supernatural input?

In John’s familiar account of the feeding of the 5,000, John starts with, “Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Phillip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” John 6:6-7

In this case, Jesus was questioning whether Philip had put the pieces together yet. Did he realize Jesus’ power? How about us? Do we realize and really believe Jesus’ power to do miracles, cure diseases, solve financial problems, resolve conflicts, comfort those with tragedies?

Dear Lord, like Philip, we often have no idea the miracles you can and will do in our lives, families, churches, communities and country. Help us use the Bible’s accounts to strengthen our belief in you power, so that we will ask with confidence for your supernatural input in our lives and our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I think a challenging paradox or conflict in life is that dissatisfaction with something is what motivates us to improve it. When we make improvements, we make life better for ourselves and others. However, it is hard to be happy and enjoy ourselves when we are dissatisfied.

One potential solution to this paradox is to start with a thankful heart, then look at improving as a way to serve, rather than looking at things as broken and needing repair. For example, if our car is dirty and needs a wash, we could start with, “my car looks terrible, I am going to get it washed.” or we can approach it as, “It is a beautiful day, I’m going to get my car washed and it is going to look great.” It seems like a subtle difference, but it is obvious to those around us, and affects our perspective on everything.

Psalm 118:24 is a classic verse to put ourselves in that thankful mindset, “This is the day that the Lord has
made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” and, Psalm 118:29, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

We all have so much for which to be thankful! even if everything has room for improvement.

Dear Lord, Help us wake up and start each day remembering that we have very much for which to be happy, most importantly our Salvation. Help us show this thankful joy in our demeanor to attract others to what we have in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you ever wonder why some Christians experience challenges in one part their lives, and others experience different types of challenges. Is it just random or is God involved in how these things are happening?

Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet was telling the people God’s view of their situation in Isaiah 28:26-29, saying, “He [a farmer] knows just what to do, for God has made him see and understand. He doesn’t thresh all grains the same. A sledge is never used on dill, but it is beaten with a stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cummin, but it is beaten softly with a flail. Bread grain is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. The Lord Almighty is a wonderful teacher and gives the farmer wisdom.”

In this passage, Isaiah is explaining to the people that God is like the farmer, and people are like the seed. God knows what experience he needs to put someone through to most effectively develop them. So when we are going through experiences we should ask ourselves what is God doing and how is he using this experience to make me a better Christian.

Dear Lord thank you for caring for each one of us, enough to work on us and help us improve. May we graciously accept the challenges you put before us as exercises to make us stronger and better Christians. in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

One of the primary tools of any magician or pickpocket is to get our attention focused on an object, and then use that object to draw our attention away from what is really happening.

A similar deception happened on occasion over the 2000 years of Christianity. Teachers begin with the message of the good news of Jesus Christ, but then they would focus on some peripheral idea and drift the emphasis away. Pretty soon the doctrine they were teaching did not resemble the Good News of Salvation from the Bible, at all.

Paul writes in Colossians 2:8, “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

There is an incredible amount of wisdom in the Bible, and we should be regularly reading, studying and meditating on the messages, but at the same time always remembering that the one message that is above all others is, as Paul wrote in Romans 3:22, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Dear Lord, We know that we cannot make ourselves right with you. Our hope and salvation come from confessing our failure, and putting our faith in Jesus Christ, son of God, who takes away our sins and makes us right with God. Help us remember that all other messages should lead us back to this good news. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.