I have heard it said, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Though it is important for us to be responsible people, have goals and plans, and work diligently in our activities, sometimes God steers us in directions we did not expect. Often these unexpected directions have tremendous impacts on our lives, sometimes for just a couple minutes or hours, and sometimes for our whole lives.

Solomon, considered to be the wisest man in history, wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:4-7 “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. God’s ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the body of a baby while it is yet in its mother’s womb. Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow – perhaps it all will. It is a wonderful thing to be alive!” TLB

With joy, we need to live every day of our lives looking for the direction God has for us.

Dear Lord, help us live in the joy and expectancy of your involvement in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

How often we get wrapped up in the stress of life, or the problems we encounter. It is easy to get bitter, jaded, and frustrated. It is at those times we need to remember the Joy of Being a Christian. Yes the joy of salvation and eternal life, but also the joy of knowing that we are loved and cared for by the ultimate power in the universe.

Jesus says in John 15:9-11 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love. When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow!” TLB

So when those challenges and frustrations of life come around, step back and take a breath; remember Jesus loves you and wants you to be happy and joyful. He is bigger than any problem we may have and can carry us through.

Dear Lord, Help us remember that you love us. Help us use this knowledge to overcome the negatives and experience the joy you promised. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

How often we get frustrated and beaten down by the challenges of life; whether we are trying to get ahead by working and going to school, a stay at home parent trying to keep children on track, house organized, spouse happy, and personal sanity, a single parent trying to provide for and raise children at the same time, one challenged by trama, addictions, or personal tragedies, an executive or professional with a hectic schedule competing with family priorities.

I think what Jesus was telling the crowd, and is trying to tell us, is to come to Him and put our confidence and faith in Him; He will help us have peace amidst life’s challenges.

Dear Lord, help us remember that You love us, like a caring parent with outstretched arms waiting for us to come and find comfort and security. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Hopefully we have all experienced a person who amazes us with their exceptional work and performance in their job. For example, the sales person who knows just how to find you exactly what you were looking for without being pushy, the service technician with a bright smile and polite “yes sir” “yes ma’am”, the contractor who proudly strives for perfection, meticulously cleans up, and patiently explains everything to his customer, or the doctor or nurse who, with angelic like compassion and tenderness, cares for the dying patient. These people not only bring great credit on themselves, they make their employers and organizations look good to those who see their service.

In much the same way, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that we are the “light of the world,” and to “let your light shine before others, that they will see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.” When we do good, we are bringing credit (glory) to God, who we follow.

I have heard it said this way, “You may be the only Jesus some people ever see.” We have an opportunity every day to demonstrate Gods love to those we contact.

Dear Lord, Help us remember that our actions demonstrate what Christians are, to people around us. Help us do good and bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Repent…..John the baptist preached it “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”

What does Repent really mean? In Matthew 3:8 John said “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” NLT Repenting is our recognition of our sins, and our sincere apology that we cannot consistently obey God and overcome our sins and temptation to sin. We need to continuously remember this, and at the same time rejoice and be grateful for the Grace of Jesus who took the entire blame and punishment for our sins.

The acknowledgment of repenting makes the blessing of foregiveness so much more personal and powerful.

It is like pleading guilty, being sentenced to life in prison without parole then immediately being pardoned and celebrating freedom.

This is the Joy of Salvation!

Dear Lord Jesus our Savior we repent of our sins and our sinful nature. Thank you for saving us from the misery we deserve and giving us the peace of foregiveness and Salvation. Amen.