Day 329: Recap!

Day 323: All In A Day's Work

Today we talked about how God does so much in a day that in our eyes in would amount up to a thousand years. We talked about how God is constantly moving and even though we may have to wait a bit longer His timing is nothing less than perfect. We focused on 2 Peter 3:8.

"It’s really God that’s giving us the means to take care of ourselves. We have to set ourselves aside to see and understand how the glory of God is constantly being played out in our lives."

Day 324: God Wants the Best For Us

Today we talked about how God only wants the best for us. We talked about the common misperception that God is some mean old man in the sky that wants us all to perish. Spoiler alert, it's not true. We focused on 2 Peter 3:9.

"He calls us to repentance so that anything blocking us from Him can be removed and we can have freedom to dwell in His presence."

Day 325: Patience My Love

Today we talked about seasons inspired by the Hillsong Worship song 'Seasons" off their later album. We focused on the lyric, "If you are not done working, then God I'm not done waiting." We focused on Psalms 27:14.

"Sometimes we act as if God is only making us wait because He can, we act as of God is making us wait for no reason at all. But have we ever considered that the reason we are still waiting is because God is not done working?"

Day 326: Thanksgiving!

So today was thanksgiving in America, so we talked about taking the time out not to ask for anything but to thank God. We talked about how important it is to sometimes just stop and thank God for all the wonderful things He has done and He is doing. We focused on Psalms 28:7 and Psalms 30:12. 

"There is something beautiful about acknowledging what He has done and what He continues to do."

Day 327: Ride It Out 

Today we talked about waves and surfing, and what that means is we talked about how living life can sometimes feel like trying to surf a storm without falling off your board. We talked about how sometimes the storm can be very strong but we have to ride it out. We focused on Hebrews 10:32-36. 

"Life is scary, sometimes those waves are bigger than we thought, but even in those moments of fear we have to ride them out. God knows what we can take and we cannot just walk away because we are afraid, but we must endure, we must endure because we know what’s on the other side, we know what it will all be worth in the end."

Day 328: It Makes No Sense

Today we talked about walking in the light, and how if we are going to walk in the light with Christ we cannot have an ounce of darkness in us. We talked about how we sometimes hold on to darkness because for the longest time it was all we knew. We focused on 1 John 1:5-7.

"It makes no sense for us to claim that we walk in light when we are still living in darkness. We must let go of anything keeping us in the dark and know that God is taking us on a beautiful journey and we cannot get to where we are going in we cannot see, spiritually and physically."

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone, go back and read your favorite devo from this week. Make sure to come back tomorrow for Day 330!

Day 303: Stick to the Status Quo

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Now when many of us hear the word “status quo” we will automatically break into song, “no no no, stick to stuff you know!”. For those of you who do not get it that was a reference to High School Musical, which will tie into what we discuss today. But first let’s define this word or these words.

Status quo- the existing state or condition.  

Now in High School Musical, the original one, the school went up in flames when everyone found out Troy Bolton wanted to sing and not only sing but sing in musicals, with the theatre department. This is what inspired the song, ‘Stick to the Status Quo’ The song is a protest of Troy changing, they don’t want him to change, they want him to stick to pattern and the dynamic that was already created. Some people (Chad, Sharpay, Ryan) were upset about this revelation while others found it inspiring and started revealing themselves more. Troy was the jock, basketball star, everyone loved him, and he had a bigger influence on his peers than he thought. Something he did as one person changed the dynamic for the rest of the student body.

There’s a few things to point out within that explanation. The first being, what was our current condition or existing state? As the scripture above points out so vividly, we were all once sinners. At one point in our lives we led a life that led us away from God not towards Him. That’s what some of us were, but the scripture goes on to say that we were sanctified. We were washed clean when we accepting Christ into our lives and that changed the status quo. Our condition at the time was sin, but Jesus came along and changed that for us, and He changed us.

Sometimes change is hard, and hard to accept. We get so used to living a certain way that we freak out when things start to change. Like the students in High School Musical, they were so used to things being a certain way that when it started to change they had to push back. Sometimes we push back when it comes to allowing God to change our hearts and our lives because we’ve held on to these things for so long that letting them go is almost like letting a piece of ourselves go. Then we have the people in our lives who cannot seem to accept the fact that we are changing. You ever met someone that wants you to stay in sin because you were “more fun as a sinner”? We all have a past and for many of us that past looked like a life full of fun, or at least what we thought was fun. But honestly we didn’t really know what it mean to live. We have all had moments where people have referenced the person we used to be trying to bring them back. That’s not the person that God wants us to be, and if there are people around us pushing us to go back into that lifestyle then they should not be around us. Troy didn’t really have good friends or at least they were not being good friends to him.  Sometimes we can be so held down by what people think of us, or how our friends will react when they find out that we have given our life to Christ, and that means there will be things that we will no longer participate in. We deal with peer pressure on a different level, whether you smoked, drank, and partied every night and decided to stop because you’ve found fulfillment in Christ. Or maybe you’ve decided to be celibate or abstinent until marriage. There is always that fear of how people will react or what will they say. This is a real thing, but when we have Christ is our lives there is no reason to fear the opinions of others because at the end of the day our relationship with God is more important than what people think and the only opinion that matters is God’s opinion.

Troy changed the dynamic of the school, he did something that brought people together and it changed how they began to view one another. Same for us, Jesus changed the dynamic of this world when He gave His life for us on the cross and was resurrected three days later. When Jesus came and lived a life true to God, it caused people to take that example and begin to walk like Him. He raised people up to carry the torch when He was gone from the earth and to take His place at the right hand of God. Basically what Jesus did was He came and changed the status quo, and many people pushed back. Many people did not believe, but for those who did, He changed our hearts and taught us to walk like Him.

All this to say, don’t stick to the status quo and do not be afraid of change. If our existing condition is sin, I’m here to let you know that there is a way out and His name is Jesus.

Reflection

1. Do you find yourself sticking to the status quo fearing change?
2. Can you recall a time when you felt pressured by your peers to return to your sinful past?
3. Do you want a way out?

Prayer Time

Allow you answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God about what we discussed today, whatever is on your heart pour it out to Him. If you want a way out of this sinful lifestyle and you want to make that decision whether it be the first time or you want to rededicate, now is the time.

If that’s you if you want to make that decision, pray this prayer with me,

“Jesus I declare that you are my Lord and Saviour who died for my sins and was raised three days later. I repent of my sins and I give my life to you. I believe in my heart that you are the true living God. I pray that you shine your  light on me and bring me out of the darkness and into your light. I love you Lord. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, Amen.”

If you made the choice to follow Christ, rededicate, or to submit your life to Him fully, Go to Romans 10:9-10

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

I love you so much and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! If you made the decision to follow Christ today, do not hesitate to reach out and get plugged into a church. I love you and make sure you come back tomorrow for day 304!

Day 294: Recap!

Day 288: Living Well Series (Part 3):Our Living is a Result of Our Loving

Today we continued with our "Living Well" series and we talked about how loving God and loving people is basically a way of living. We  proposed the question how are we loving, are we loving the way God wants us to love. We talked about how love changes the way we live. We focused on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Matthew 22:37-40, Ephesians 5:2, 2 John 15-6, John 12:34-35.

"When we come into the knowledge and understanding of God’s unconditional love towards us, it changes our lives, and ultimately changes how we live."

Day 289: Living Well Series (Part 4): Life is So Beautiful

Today we closed out our "Living Well" series. We talked about how beautiful life is, how beautiful life can be when we see it through the lens of God's eyes. We talked about how God raises us like a parent raises a child from birth to adulthood. We went into what it means for us to be born again, when we accept Christ into our lives. We focused on 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 John 2:6, and Ephesians 5:1-2.

"As Christ begins to change our hearts, He begins to weed out the things that do not need to be there. Being born again is a process of purification, elimination, healing, it’s like a detox. He’s taking things from us that we don’t need and giving and equipping us with everything we will ever need."

Day 290: It's Possible!

Today we talked about how often times we look at living a sinless life as impossible. But all we have to do is submit ourselves to Christ and take the example He gave us and live how He lived. We talked about how Jesus gets it, He was born a human just like us and tempted just like us, yet He lived a life completely free of sin. We focused on Hebrews 4:15.

"God gives us strength in those moments of weakness to escape, He always gives us a way out. There is always another choice, another door to go through, we do not have to fall every time. God is standing right there with us in those moments but He will not make the decision for us. Sometimes we have chosen to be weak because it is easier."

Day 291: Waiting for "The One"

Today we talked about relationships and waiting for that special someone God has for us, we talked about how God has someone special for all of us and even though we have to wait, when the time is right it will all be worth it. We talked about how there is someone out there for all of us, and that God is the perfect matchmaker. I can't say too much or I'll give it away, you gotta read it. We focused on Matthew 6:33, Genesis 2:18, Jeremiah 29:11, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

" Sometimes we settle for people that do not fit us, We settle for people not just because we’re lonely but because they have what we think we want. They have the whole package according to our standards. But what about God’s standards? What about His plan? We must get to a point where we are not willing to sacrifice our faith for pleasure."

Day 292: This Beautiful Image

Today we literally broke down Psalms 23 verse by verse. We talked about this beautiful image David paints in this passage with His words or poetry. But more important than that we talked about the beautiful image God is painting through the message of His word. We obviously focused on Psalms 23.

"God is beautiful. He paints these beautiful images with His word, but going beyond that, God is just so beautiful. I mean He did create beauty. Everything He touches is beautiful, all things from God are beauty."

Day 293: But Wait...There's More!

Today we talked about how God does more than we could ever ask for expect. We basically talked about how God is always outdoing us, and showing us up in the best way possible. We discussed how God goes a step further than what we'd expect and continues to pour His love and blessing out on us.

We focused on Malachi 3:10 and Ephesians 3:20.

"God will go above and beyond for us, because He loves us that much. Sometimes we are waiting for God to move in our lives, waiting on promises, and when they do come to pass God makes the wait so worth."

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 295!

Day 268: Recap

Day 260: What You Need Me to Be

Today we talked about the lengths that Paul went to brag the message of Christ to all people. To make sure the everyone heard the gospel. We talked about how we as people often overlook people who are in need of help, and we must be willing to go to the places no one is willing to go, just to bring the message of Christ to someone. We focused on 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

" We are so concerned with containing our Christian composure and making sure that our spirits are not 'tainted' that we are not really doing all we can to make sure someone’s soul is set free."

 Day 261: A Way Out

Today we talked about how God always provides us with a way out. We talked about how He will not allow us to be tempted pass what we can stand. We talked about how we sometimes decide to sin and then blame everything but ourselves. We focused on 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

"Who you are in Christ is much stronger than your flesh and it’s worldly desires."

Day 262: Our Way

Today we talked about a classic biblical story, we discussed Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. We discussed how sometimes we think or act like we know more than God. We act as if He does not know what He is doing therefore we must take matters into our own hands. We also talked about how we decide to move on our own when we get impatient with God. We focused on Genesis 15:2-5, 16:1-5: 18:10-15, and 21:1-5.

"We do not know more than God. It’s easy to take matters into our own hands because we think we know what we’re doing, but when we compare our knowledge to God’s we literally have no idea what He has in store for us."

Day 263: The Split Personalities of Christianity

Today we talked about how we often put our life as a Christian separate from our everyday living. We treat our lifestyle as a follower of Christ as something that can be turned on and off at will. We discussed how we are a Christian at all times, in front of all people, and our lives should not be separated into two categories. We also touched on how we often act as if our humanity is stripped from us because we are Christ followers. We focused on Galatians 2:11-13.

"We are so concerned with how people will see us and what they will think or say that we allow ourselves to put up a facade. It’s like putting on a mask that we remove from time to time to reveal and cover who we really are. We allow ourselves to create a separate identity that is only unleashed when “we don’t have to be Christian”. Once again, there is never a moment when we are not Christian."

Day 264: Our Set Time

Today we talked about how God has set a time for each and every one of us. We talked about how sometimes God is allowing us to grow and mature, he is moulding us into the people He needs us to be before He pours out His blessings upon us. We talked about how we must be patient and trust His timing because we will always to come the realization of how perfect His timing actually is. We focused on Galatians 4:1-2.

" I feel like sometimes God is telling us to wait a little longer so we can mature a little more. He’s teaching us as we go, He’s making us into the people He wants to be so that whenever we receive what God has for us, we will be ready."

Day 265: All the Time #WasteTheirTime2017

Today we touched on relationships a bit and talked about how sometimes people only want our attention so it's not given to someone else. We talked about how sometimes someone who doesn't really want us in their lives will do everything they can to keep us, just so we won't be a part of someone else's. You gotta read it. We focused on Galatians 4:17-18.

"Like Paul says, it’s alright if people want to do good things for you, but let them do it all the time. Let them be the same all the time. Let them do it in private just as in public."

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone, go back over what we discussed this week, and come back tomorrow for Day 269!

Day 256: People's Opinions

Proverbs 29:25

It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe. (GNT)

One of the greatest lessons God has taught me is to be confident in who I am and who He has made me to be. He has allowed me or taught me to see myself the way He sees me. To love myself. He has taught me not to view myself through the filter of my peers. He has made me who I am and I am not subject to succumb to the opinions of others. We are not made to live in the shadow of someone’s opinions. Opinions didn’t make us, so they most definitely do not have the power to break us. I have found freedom in not caring about what others think. That was something that held me back for a very long time in every area of my. The grave fear of, “What will people think?” “What will people say?” The more I thought about that, the more it destroyed me, because one thing my mom always taught us is, no matter what, people will always have an opinion. People will always have something to say. Then she would follow it up by saying something like, “it’s a good thing you aren’t living for their acceptance. Ever since I was a little girl my parents have taught me that the only person I have to please is God, that I am not here to please anyone, not even them. Those statements would not resonate with me until later in my life but I have grasped the concept of it.

I believe that God wants us to be confident people, and He does not want us to be held captive by what people think of us. Honestly speaking, we are often concerned with how people view us, especially as Christians. We act a certain way around certain people so they don’t think we are bad people or bad Christians. However when we are more concerned with how God views us, we are much happier with ourselves and our lives. There’s so much joy in living our lives solely for God. There’s a certain type of joy that cannot be tainted when we truly grasp the meaning of being free in christ. When we just accept ourselves the way God made us and love every part of who we are, we tend to love others more. When we treat ourselves well we tend to treat others well. When we are confident in who we are we want to build up others. It’s like a domino effect. When we all learn to be ourselves, and fully devote ourselves to God, the world will be a much happier place. People will love each other because they love themselves.

I have found, very recently that all the confidence, all the strength and belief in myself I will ever need I can and have found in God. It was only when I drew closer to the Lord that I figured out how to focus on Him and not others. What I mean is that for so long I cared about how people viewed me, and when I fully immersed myself into the word of God, and fully devoted myself and my life to Christ, that is when all of my insecurities and cares for what others thought of me disappeared. Basically what I’m saying is I live a carefree life because I live a Christ-like life. It’s crazy how that works. Living in the world could not give me the type of freedom that I have now. And it feels good, not caring feels so good. I’m just going through life happy and free, it’s great!

All this to say, live the life god has given you and not care about what others think of you. The only person you have to please is God. Don’t allow the opinions of others dictate who you are and how you view yourself. God made you who you are for a reason. People’s opinions either elevate you or tear you down, you have to choose which ones are meant for your life.

Reflection

1. Are you often caught up in the opinions of others?
2. Are you viewing yourself through God’s eyes or the eyes of your peers or neighbors?
3. Do you believe that there is freedom from that in Christ?
4. Can you agree that all this confidence and freedom is found in the Lord?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God about what we discussed today, as Him to help you see you, the way He sees you.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 257!