You may have read or heard the words of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It is often misunderstood as to say give thanks “for” all circumstances, which has a significantly different meaning.

We all experience things we wish would not have happened, accidents, tragedies, illnesses, etc. and although sometimes God gives us these things to help us grow, it would be a strange to be thankful for something terrible that happens to us.

We can, however, be thankful “in all circumstances.” so when good things or bad things are happening, we live with a thankful heart; Thankful for being saved through Jesus and given eternal life, and thankful that God is there with us through all our circumstances.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with us in all that we face, giving us the strength to handle anything we encounter. Help us show that strength in our lives to bring glory to you and show others the joy of being Christian. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a popular author whose thesis is that in order to achieve things in life, we need to make ourselves vulnerable. We have to put our ideas out in public and risk being criticized. For most people, this is a frightening idea.

In a similar way, to grow and be everything God wants us to be as Christians, we need to do the same thing; to live our lives openly as Christians without excuse or apology. The difference is that we know God is there supporting us when we make ourselves vulnerable for him.

Psalm 25:3 says, “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.”

Dear Lord, Thank you for the assurance that you, the most powerful force in existence, are there to support us when we honor you. Help us trust in you and live our lives as Christian examples, glorifying you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

John 7 has an account of Jesus responding to criticism from the Jewish leaders who said it was wrong of him to heal a man on the Sabbath day. The Jews had religious laws that no work was allowed on the Sabbath day, which originated with the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Jesus tells them in John 7:24, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” I believe he was telling them that they were misinterpreting the point of the commandment. God gave them the rules, or commandments, but they had to interpret them and put them in practice.

We too must interpret God’s direction as provided to us in the Bible. This requires us to actively use the mind God gave us to “look below the surface,” as Jesus tells us. I like the description of “checking our premises.” Our premises are our assumptions and pre-conceived ideas that we all have and use to interpret things around us.

We need to take some time to ask ourselves where the authority for those pre-conceived ideas came from. If we look beneath the surface and find that our premises do not conform to the two “greatest commandments” from Matthew 22, “love God, and love our neighbor” then we may need to change our thinking.

Dear Lord, we all struggle with the conflict between our wants and pride and your will. Help us regularly check our premises so we can judge correctly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Thank God for the United States of America.

Democracy by definition is “government by the people.” Democratic countries have different variations of how this “rule by the people” is conducted, but the key is that the people of the country ultimately control its direction.

Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

Almost all the founders of the United States of America were practicing Christians, and for over two hundred years, the people of this American democracy have ruled to maintain the Christian foundation of America. The USA has been incredibly blessed over these years, and our Christian virtues and people have led the USA to be an incredible blessing to the rest of the world.

It is our responsibility, in our country ruled by the people, to make sure our God, and as a result our country’s God, is the Lord. If we do, we can have confidence that God will Bless America.

Dear Lord, on this day we celebrate the independence of the United States of America, we thank you for the blessing of living here and the tremendous positive influence this country has been in the world. Help us, the people of America, to govern our country as Christians, so that your blessings may continue on this great, and grateful country. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In modern times when we hear the word “peace” we tend to think of the absence of war or absence of conflict between people. Jesus is described in the Bible as the “Prince of Peace” and in John 14:27 He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus’ peace is a peace for you personally. Closer to the dictionary definition of “quiet and tranquility: Mental calm; serenity.” We can have this peace through our faith in Jesus. He wants us to pass our troubles, sorrows, and concerns to Him and ask for His help. If we trust Him, we can be at peace.

The apostle Paul describes it in Philippians 4:7 “The peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” We may not understand it, but through faith in God we can have peace.

Dear Lord, Help us trust You and accept Your peace in our lives, knowing that You will guard and protect us. In Jesus’ name. Amen