How do we define life?  It can be defined in many ways, our physical life, beating heart and active brain waves; our consciousness and awareness of ourselves and our existence; but more individually, our lives and our relationships, our interests and activities, our strengths and weaknesses, our skills and talents.

Jesus says in Matthew 10:39 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

I think Jesus is referring to the entire variety of life definitions.  If we surrender to God,  those things that make up our life, he will give us, as He describes in John 10:10, “an abundant life,” not only in our eternal life, but in our life on earth, as well. 

Dear Lord, thank you for the promise of eternal life most of all, but also thank you for the promise of an abundant life on earth, abounding in peace, hope, and joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

We all experience challenges, obstacles and even tragedies in our lives. When these things occur, God’s desire is that they bring us closer to him, and that we come to him for comfort and support.

I believe we are faced with these trials for one of two reasons. First, as James writes in James 1:2,3, “when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” God is testing us to help us grow our faith, strength, and endurance.

The other cause of trials we may face, can be our own actions and bad choices. Paul writes in Romans 1:28,29, that when people ignore him, he lets them experience the effects of being on their own, outside of his protection. “So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin, of greed and hate, envy, murder, fighting, lying, bitterness, and gossip.”

The solution in either case is to go to God with our needs; submit ourselves to his love and direction, and we will come out of the challenge better Christians.

Dear Lord, thank you for being there for us, help us come to you in faith, knowing that you will help us through our trials and temptations if we only ask and believe. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You may have heard this expression, and may have even experienced the phenomenon. When trying to make a decision, we wait and wait looking for one more piece of information or insight that will motivate us to decide, and begin.

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 11:4, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” The Living Bible version translates this verse as “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”

God is telling us through Solomon’s writing, that we need to act in faith. Particularly when it comes to those things we feel God calling us to do.

There is an expression that goes, “The will of God will never lead you where the love of God will not support you.” We need to remember that God will be there to support us if we move forward in faith.

Dear Lord, Thank you for your guidance, direction, and support. Help us remember to listen for your call, then act, and not wait for perfect conditions. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We all occasionally wonder why God allows certain things to happen the way they do. Why do bad things happen to us and our friends? Why does he take some people away so early in their lives?

In the bible also God works in ways that seem strange to us. Why did he choose simple people like Peter to be his disciples? Why did he choose Paul who was a persecutor of Christians, to become one of the most significant Christians?

From our limited viewpoint and simple frame of reference on earth, we can only speculate about God’s reasons.

Isaiah writes in chapter 55:8,9, ““My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

It is good for us to think about and discuss why God may do things the way he does, and possibly he will provide us some enlightenment. Whether he does or not however we can know that all things are working according to his plans.

Dear Lord, We thank you for the knowledge that you have control over all that affects us. Help us play our part with faith in your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a fair amount of debate, in intellectual circles and scientific communities about where a person’s morality and conscience come from. People without a religious belief, atheists and agnostics,, would argue that morality and conscience are learned, and are only a result of upbringing and exposure.

God is pretty clear through Paul’s writing in Romans, though, that our conscience and morality were placed in each off us by God. Romans 2:14,15 says, “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”

How great it is to have a conscience to help us see the boundaries for our behavior. God put these reminders there for us, all we have to do is follow them

Dear Lord, We thank you for having written your law on our hearts. Please give us the strength to listen to our conscience, and choose to do the right thing. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.