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.

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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.

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Occasionally we get very clear evidence that we are living in a world ruled by the devil. We read about terrible acts of evil, injustice and immorality all over the news and the internet.

2 Corinthians 4:4 Says “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.”

It is however not our job to condemn, but to love, as Jesus did. We cannot be proud because we think we are not as sinful as someone else In Romans 2:4 Paul tells us “Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” Roman’s 3:23, says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

2 Timothy 2:25-26 Says “Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them, they are more likely, with God’s help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan’s trap of slavery to sin.”

We can only control our own actions; live our faith, and fortunately living in a democracy, vote our faith. Paul continues in Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.” Sadly in the end, many will not accept Christ’s salvation. In Matthew 22:14 Jesus says, “for many are called but few are chosen.”

Dear Lord, Please come and show your influence in our world. Help us have the courage to witness to your good news that your salvation and peace are available to all who will turn to you. Help us also put a priority on electing representatives who will support our Christian beliefs. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Why do we worry? At the root of most worry is a lack of confidence that we will get a good outcome of some situation in which we find ourselves, or a situation that someone we care about is experiencing.

Our worrying will obviously not change anything. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus says, “Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?” TLB. Not only will worrying not help, but it can actually cause damage as Psalms 37:8 says, “…do not fret and worry-it leads only to harm.” TLB

It is easy to say, “just don’t worry,” but not so easy to do. What then is the solution to replace the worry? The solution as written in 1 Peter 5:7 is to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” NIV Hand over your concerns to God, say a prayer, and trust he will guide and protect you and those you love.

Dear Lord, we have fears in our lives and even though we may know that we shouldn’t worry, help us truly replace our worry with belief in your love for us and power over all our concerns. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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In modern times people use the expression “keeping up with the Jones’,” to describe how people worry about how they compare to someone else, whether their income, the car they drive, size of their house, position at work, or many other ways. Our human perspective makes us believe that winning these “competitions” makes us “better.”

However, God tells us through Paul’s writing in Galatians 6:4, “Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.” TLB

Our motivation should not be the “competitive spirit”, it should be the satisfaction of doing, and being, our best. God has made us each unique, and gave us unique skills, talents, interests, and personalities. He tells us that the important thing is to do our best with them.

Dear Lord, thank you for the unique people you have made us. Help us make the most of what we have, and in doing so, we give glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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