We all know that God created us with a free will to choose. There is a constant battle going on inside each of us; a battle between our desire to choose to obey God and do what is right, and our desire to choose to follow the “self-centered” desires that the world would have us follow.

Think of all the modern day social issues that revolve around the “right” and “freedom” to do things that are clearly wrong according to God.

Paul writes to the church in Galatians 5:13 “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

Dear Lord, please help us use the freedom you gave us to live lives that glorify you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

John 2 Begins with the story of Jesus’ first miracle, when he changed the water into wine at the wedding in Galilee.

John 2:11-12 says, “This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.”

After this miracle, the small group went away for a few days. What do you think the conversation was during those few days in Capernaum? They probably had many questions about how Jesus did this miracle, and what this meant for them and for the world. We might call it reflection and analysis of the events.

I think there is a lesson for us in this story. There are times when we have seen God’s goodness, or His intervention in our lives; like protection from a tragedy, relief from an illness, or some coincidence that makes things go well for us. Maybe the lesson for us in this story is to take a moment to reflect and analyze what God has done and what it means.

Dear Lord, Thank you for working in our lives, and the lives of those we love. Help us remember to take time to see your work and blessings, and take time to acknowledge and give You thanks. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Bible writes about us being “perfected.” In Matthew 5:48 Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

In order to be “perfect,” we need to have a standard by which to measure ourselves. That standard is Jesus. So God is constantly working on those who believe, so that they become more and more like Jesus.

In 2 Corinthians 3:16,18 Paul writes, “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away….. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

We will never reach the objective of perfection, until we are joined with Jesus in eternity, but while we are here, the pursuit of perfection is our objective, and when we need some correction, God will be providing it.

Dear Lord, when we accept Jesus, we are accepting the fact that you will be working on us, to make us better and more like him. When we remember this, we can embrace the challenges and trials we endure as training toward perfection. Help us become more like Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.

It is not uncommon for some Christians to be entirely focused on the writings in the New Testament. This makes some sense, because that is where the stories of Jesus and the early Christian church are written. However, there is knowledge and wisdom for us in the Old Testament as well.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”

The prophets include those more familiar, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, but also the less familiar, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obediah, Jonah, Micah, and others. Most of the prophets were giving the people of that time messages from God, trying to get them back on course after having strayed from God’s will. There are messages in there for us today also. One of the additional benefits for us is the historical evidence for the Bible. Many of the prophecies have been the fulfilled, and modern archeology has confirmed these Bible prophecies including the first destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity of the Jews, the return of the Jews, and rebuilding of the temple.

Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:19-21, “… we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”

Dear Lord, We thank you for the confirming evidence of the Bible available as a result of the prophecies. Help us read them with introspection into our own lives and how we may be off the track you desire for us, and bring us back in line. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

I think it is easy to be confused when reading this passage. Here we are on earth that God made for us, and where he put us, but we are not supposed to “love” anything here? After meditating on this and studying commentaries, I think the message is about the relative value we place on things of the world verses our faith and hope for our future with God. Enjoying the wonders of God’s creation is great, but it should not interfere with the priority of God’s will for us.

We need to be able to walk away from anything in this world that would come between us and God. We need to remember; God first, everything else, second.

Dear Lord, it is sometimes difficult for us to remember that even good things like family, friends, charity, and the beautiful things you put on earth for us are to take second place to our faith in you. Things on earth are not important for our eternity. Help us keep our priorities in your order. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.