Stuff

Matthew 6

19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

As a “typical American” I have way too much stuff. Today is a day I have designated to rid myself of much of that stuff. My attic and garage are overflowing. Father, it is my desire to better arrange what I need and to rid myself of that I do not need. My treasure is my salvation in Christ Jesus, but my material possessions could easily get in the way if I allow them to do so. May it never be so. May my stuff be used to proclaim the glory of God, and may any stuff I have that hinders that proclamation be swiftly removed from my life!

Perfect Love

Matthew 5

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Perfect love expects nothing in return. Perfect love gives to those who don’t deserve, nor appreciate it. Perfect love is the standard Jesus has set for His followers. Since I am claiming to be a fully committed follower of Christ, I must live a life of perfect love. To do any less is to be a liar to my Lord.

Lead Me O Lord

Psalm 5

8 Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

Whether it be made plain to me or not, O Lord, lead me in the path You would have me to follow this day. My desire is to simply follow You daily.

Immediate Followers

Matthew 4

18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.

21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

As Jesus begins His earthly ministry, He calls four guys to come follow Him. Jesus still calls for us to follow Him today, and our response should be just like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Immediate obedience. When we hear the call of the Christ, we should leave what we are doing at once and follow Him. We should immediately follow Jesus. To do any less is not following, it is being a fan. I am not a fan of Jesus. I am a fully committed follower.

Breaking God's Heart

Genesis 6

5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.

Sin breaks God’s heart. Today, I am burdened with the thought that my actions often break the heart of the One Who loves me more than anything. My actions bring sadness to the Creator of heaven and earth. My actions are deserving of the full wrath of God. Thank You, Lord for the forgiveness I have through Your Son Jesus. Thank You Father for Your great mercy. It is my desire to live in such a manner as to make You proud. May Your heart be gladdened by my actions today.

Awe, Fear, Discipline

Proverbs 1

7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

My desire is to be wise in the sight of the LORD. Therefore, I cannot afford to become to “comfortable” in my relationship with Him. I must remember that while God loves and even likes me, He is the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, and is worthy of my awe, my fear, and my reverence. Discipline as You see fit, O Lord, and help me to grow wise in this new year of 2012.

Very Good

Genesis 1

1a In the beginning God created...

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

As we mark the beginning of a New Year, it is only fitting to remember that in the beginning God created. He created everything that exists. The earth and everything contained therein. The universe, and everything contained therein. Each of the six days of creation, God looked over what He had made and declared it to be “good.” That is, until the 6th day, when God created human beings, and then He declared His creation to be “very good.” Just as God decided that humans would be the crowning glory of creation, we humans need to acknowledge and worship God as the Master Creator. I LOVE the fact that this year, we get to start the New Year off in corporate celebration on the Lord’s Day. May the new beginning of a new year bring about a renewed desire to celebrate Jesus every day. May I look around at what God is doing in my life and together with Him declare that it is “very good.”