We use the word “good” often in our day to day speech. If we think about what it means, we realize that it needs a standard or measurement to have meaning. Most of the time, the person who says, “that is good” is the one who is setting the standard. For example if you hire someone to complete something, when you say, “it’s good,” then it is based on your standard.

Matthew 19:16-17, says, “Someone came to Jesus with the question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus said, “There is only One who is good, But to answer your question, if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” In this story, the standard Jesus is describing for “good” is perfection; No minor deviations, or little mistakes, “perfection.”

Can anyone but God achieve perfection?

This leads us to why Christianity is not like any other religion. Other religions have their lists of actions and behaviors that must be performed in order to achieve the goal. In Christianity, there is nothing we can do to be saved.

God saves us.

Dear Lord, only you are “good.” What a joy it is to know that we don’t have to be good to be saved, we just have to accept the gift you offer us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Occasionally you run across a passage in the bible that just delivers a crystal clear message.

Proverbs 11:24 is one of these. In the NLT version it says, “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.”

I think it is significant that the passage doesn’t get into the details of what percentage to give, pre-tax or after tax, or to evaluate how much of the recipient’s contributions are used for administrative costs, etc. It describes a mindset of generosity. With this mindset, God will provide more than you started with.

Proverbs 11:25 goes on, “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

I was reminded recently of an expression that sums this up. “You can’t out-give God”

Like the parable of the three servants in Matthew 25, If we do well with what God gives us, he will give us more.

Dear Lord, It is so difficult for us to counter our fear of not having enough. This fear can lead us to be stingy with the gifts you have given us. Help us overcome this fear, be generous, and put our trust in you to provide what we need and more. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

Just before the Jews entered the land God promised to them, modern day Israel, after they were led out of Egypt by Moses, Moses gave them something we might call a charge, or duty which is applicable for us today.

He said in Deuteronomy 4:40, “I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

The commands Moses gave them, recorded in Deuteronomy 5, were what we call the Ten Commandments today; In my words, Put all your trust in God and don’t make other things more important than Him, show respect for God’s name, go to church, respect and honor your parents and authorities, don’t murder, commit sexual sins, steal, lie, or desire something so much that you would do wrong to get it.

In Deuteronomy 5:33 he tells them, “Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives.”

Dear Lord, Your directions are clear; Help us follow them, because they are the instruction manual for our lives, to make it work well. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

General statements are statements like, “everyone knows that,” or “nobody goes there anymore,” sayings that leave no room for exceptions. There is an expression that goes, “All general statements are false, including this one.”

There are very few things that we can say have no exceptions, which is why I think it is significant when the Bible makes some general statements.

In Matthew 12:15, Matthew writes about Jesus, “…with many following him. He healed all the sick among them.”

And in Matthew 14 after the story of the miracle of feeding the 5000, in verses 35 and 36, Matthew writes, “And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.”

The key word in both of these descriptions is “all.” Jesus didn’t heal some of those that were sick, he healed “all”, and it wasn’t just some of those that touched his cloak that were healed, in was “all.”

One general statement that we can count on is that God is all powerful. Put our trust in Him.

Dear Lord, like those you healed in the Bible stories, give us the faith to put our trust in you to work in our lives and answer our prayers, Your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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

I think we all can admit that it feels good to be better than someone else at something. Better golfer, smarter, richer, in better shape, our child’s school is better, company is better; there are an unlimited number of ways we can find to try to compare ourselves to others in order to pump ourselves up. Though it is great to work hard and strive to make ourselves better, boasting about our advantages shows that our focus is in the wrong place.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things.”

There is only one thing we can rightly boast about and be proud in, and that is our Lord God.

Dear Lord, it is your awesome power that made everything we know, and all the while you care about each of us individually. Help us put our pride in you and be grateful that you called and loved each of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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