We know that God is all powerful. He created all things, from the magnitude of the universe, to the complexity of our bodies; he performed incredible powerful miracles like the great flood, the plagues in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea to the many miracles Jesus performed, like raising Lazarus from death, and casting out demons. We know from the story of Job that the devil is subject to God’s permission and authority. Who would question whether God could strike anyone on earth down at any time, or wipe out anything man could build with a single act of Nature. God’s Power is Awesome!

At the same time, 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is Love.” God is love…the magnitude of this is also difficult for us to understand. The most compassion, care, empathy, sympathy, sacrifice, we can feel or express is just a drop compared to God’s love, because God is Love.

Together, how can we not submit ourselves to God’s will, knowing that by doing so, we are supported and protected by the ultimate power and cared for by the one who defines love.

Dear Lord, Let us take both comfort, and strength in knowing that You are Power and Love, and you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many of us have experienced the situation where we expressed our opinion rather strongly in a discussion or debate with someone, then realized we were wrong, but are reluctant to admit we are in error. Our reluctance is usually due to our ego, we don’t want to admit we are wrong, and will come up with all kinds of twisted logic to avoid admitting we are wrong. When we do finally concede our mistake, it actually is a relief knowing we don’t have to defend an untruth any longer.

In a similar but more important way, 1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Holding on to a belief that we are “good” is a delusion. Peace comes from confessing our failure to God, and accepting his forgiveness.

Dear Lord, what peace it provides knowing that when we confess our sins, you forgive them. We do not need to rationalize or debate, just repent and accept your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many people we encounter daily are rather negative. It is so easy to think the negative things are the things to discuss; bad weather, traffic, our physical ailments, car trouble, etc. Not to minimize people’s problems, but even with our problems, we all have much to be happy and grateful for. We should try to be the person that turns the conversation to the positive things.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Paul writes to the believers there, “Always be joyful, Always keep praying, No matter what happens, be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” TLB I am sure the folks Paul was writing to had problems like we do. Arguably, their problems were more dire than we can imagine in the developed world of 2020.

Dear Lord, Help us remember Paul’s words, and be Joyful and Thankful. Joyful because we are saved and we know you will support us through our problems, and Thankful in for this amazing gift. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Think of some famous person, U.S. President, Business Leader, or Celebrity. How many generations back do you think we can identify the names of their ancestors? How far back can we identify our ancestors? Most likely, we can identify our great grandparents, or maybe their parents. That would be four generations back.

Matthew 1:1-16, lists the fathers and some of the mothers of Jesus’ ancestors back to Abraham. Matthew 1:17 says, “All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.”

Luke 3:23-38 also has the a list of Jesus’ ancestors recorded all the way back to Adam, 76 Generations.

Though there are some variations between the Luke and Matthew list, historians have logical reasons for these variations. I find it amazing to have this type of information for a person that lived 2000 years ago. It is difficult to dispute the significance of Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, What a blessing it is for us to have historical information about Jesus. The extensive consistency and authenticity of Biblical accounts of history are being identified every day. Help us use this information to support our understanding, our faiths, and our witness to others, that they may come to know you, also. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You probably know the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and subsequently becoming very powerful in Egypt. I don’t imagine that Joseph had any idea about the good that would occur later in his life as a result of what his brothers did.

In Genesis 50:20 he reveals himself to his brothers and says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

How often do things happen to us that we think are terrible, but they result in something good later on. God has a plan for each of us which may include events that are not pleasant, but are necessary to accomplish something good.

Dear Lord, we cannot even begin to understand the reasons and complexity of Your plans. Help us trust that you have things under control in our lives and when we do, even what seems terrible You will use for good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.