Throughout generations, there have been thousands of powerful, brilliant, inspiring, and successful people. Many of these people have made incredible contributions to mankind. However their power is limited to the bounds of earth. Their influence may continue through institutions, and information they leave after death, but they have no power after death.

Psalm 146:3-5 says, “Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God.”

God is the eternal power, when we put our confidence in him, and faith in Jesus Christ, we know we are protected beyond death, and into eternal life.

Dear Lord, What peace and joy it gives us when we truly put our hope in you for our protection and guidance. Help us see this truth and put it in practice in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What does it mean to be mature? or What does it mean when we tell someone to “grow up?” It doesn’t have anything to do with their age, but is more about their behavior and judgment. One definition of maturity is the ability to accept delayed gratification; to work on something for an extended period of time before seeing the results.

In a similar way as we become more mature in our Christian faith, we can begin to accept the struggles and challenges of being a Christian with the joy of knowing we will be rewarded in time. We accept those challenges out of love for God, and our fellow men and women. Paul writes in Romans 8:18, ” Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.”

Dear Lord, Help us become more mature Christians to take our suffering and struggles in faith, knowing that our future reward will be the peace of trusting you, and ultimately our eternal reward in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

How blessed those of us are whose parents brought us up to know Jesus Christ. Think of how it might have been if our parents did not lead us to our Savior. Who would have? How would we hear the story? Would we accept it? For those who came to Christ outside of their family, do you remember who invited you, and why you opened yourself up to Jesus?”

Paul describes these questions in Romans 10:14-15, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Most of us may be reluctant to witness, but to overcome that reluctance, think about how wonderful it would be to be the person who helped someone else become saved.

Dear Lord, thank you for those that helped us come to know and believe in you. Help us to have the courage to help someone else come to be saved. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is very common in our human nature to dwell on our problems. We can describe in great detail how big the problem is, how long it has been going on, how it runs in our family, etc…..

One interesting thing about successful people is that they spend much more time, energy, and thought avoiding, ignoring, and overcoming their problems than thinking about the problem.

As Christians also, we need to spend more time and energy remembering how big and strong our God is rather than the size of our problems.

Deuteronomy 1:28-31 tells part of the story of the Israelites coming to the Promised Land, “What are we getting into? Our brothers who spied out the land have frightened us with their report. They say that the people of the land are tall and powerful, and that the walls of their cities rise high into the sky! They have even seen giants there—the descendants of the Anakim!’ “But I said to you, ‘Don’t be shocked or afraid of them! The Lord God is your leader, and he will fight for you with his mighty miracles, just as you saw him do in Egypt. And you know how he has cared for you again and again here in the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child!’ But nothing I said did any good.“They refused to believe the Lord our God”

They put more faith in their obstacles than in God’s ability to support them moving toward where He was leading them.

We need to remember that the will of God will never lead us where the love of God will not support us.

Dear Lord, you are bigger than any obstacle we can ever face. Help us remember to believe that and put our focus on your power to support us rather than the obstacles we face. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is great to pray for little things, and have an ongoing conversation with God throughout our day. Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray continually.” We can ask for God to help us do well on a test, or close an important sale, or have a good report from a doctor visit. These are all fine to ask for, but those things could happen with or without God’s help.

However, how often do we ask for really significant things that cannot happen without God’s intervention? Things like unexpected funds for your church to make needed improvements, healing of a chronic medical condition, or straightening up of a wayward relative or friend. In John 14:13-14 Jesus says, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” If we truly believe in God’s power, and believe that what we want will bring Glory to God, we should be asking for things that are impossible without God’s supernatural input.

Dear Lord, Help us also remember that you are God and there are no limits to your capabilities. Help us also remember your promise to do whatever we ask so that it brings glory to God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.