Day 342: Lessons From Nature

1 Corinthians 2:9

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Joshua 21:45

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Today’s devo was inspired by the song Seasons by Hillsong worship, as I was listening to the song a couple of things stood out to me, but the biggest thing that stood out to me is how nature acquaints with not only patience but the promises of God. The lyrics are as follows:

“Oh how nature acquaints us

With the nature of patience...For Your promise is loyal From seed to sequoia”

I don’t know how many of you have ever seen a sequoia tree but they are huge. They are the largest, tallest, and longest living trees on the world. Some of the biggest trees you will ever see. The tallest one is 311 feet high, the oldest one has been living for 3500 years. These  trees are iconic and remarkable. But I am sure they did not end up this way overnight. They did not just sprout up to three hundred and eleven feet overnight. It took time, a long time. While they are the fastest growing trees due to how large they can be and how tall they get, it takes years for them to actually grow as high as they can. It can take thousands of years for them to grow as tall as they are. However, once they start growing they do not stop. The trunk gets wider and they tree gets taller. The foundation grows as the tree grows in order to support its growth.

I talk about these trees because in many ways they can represent us and also God’s promises to us. I love that the song says that God’s promise is loyal, “from seed to sequoia” as many times as I’ve listened to this song it took me a while to catch on the message of those lyrics. It’s interesting that they talk about the sequoia tree as it is the largest trees in the world. From a small seed grows this massive and beautiful creation. In the same way God helps us to grow from a small seed into something massive, something grand and beautiful. He makes us into something we never thought we would be. In the time that it takes to happen He remains loyal. His promises never fail. He remains who He is through it all. From the very beginning God has been there and He will be there for us to the very end, and when it’s all over we will be united with Him in heaven. He is there from the moment we are planted in Him, in the moments when the roots are growing, and we don’t see the growth. That first sprout He is there, as we grow taller and taller, He is there. The thing is He never stops being there and His promises for us and words towards us never change. It’s beautiful.

If you’ve ever seen a sequoia you will be taken by it’s beauty. These trees are so beautiful that you can make bridges out of them. You can drive through the arches of it’s trunk. It’s mindblowing how astounding they are. You never thought you would see something like that. This is how God’s promises are, so astounding that it blows us away. No eye has seen, no ear has heard the things that God will do for us. It will blow us away and leave us in awe.

There is a lesson that we can learn from nature. As the song says, “Oh how nature acquaints us, with the nature of patience.” There’s nothing that will teach you patience like watching a tree or a plant grow. There is nothing we can do to speed us the process we just have to trust the process of growth and wait. We can speed things up but the waiting makes everything so worth it. The waiting makes us want it even more, but if we are patient enough the waiting produces passion. Waiting on something makes you want it even more. My prayer is that the longer we wait on God the more passionate we grow for Him, the deeper we get with our relationship with Him. As we begin to see the value of who God is and the value of His promises. Sometimes waiting isn’t always a result of God “punishing” but it is the realization that God is working on something so great that we  have to wait a bit longer to see what it is.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to respond to what we discussed today. Respond in whatever way you feel led and let that response guide your prayer. Pray in whatever way you feel led, just take the time to talk to God.

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 343!

Day 266: Our Set Time

Galatians 4:1-2

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.

We all have a set time that God has set for us, and it’s perfect. One thing we all know is that God is constantly working in our lives and providing for us. We know that He has something great in store for each and every one of us and it’s only a matter of time before we get it. It’s a matter of time before He releases it upon us. You ever had a feeling that God is doing something in your life? Something great and big but you have no idea when it’s coming. He’s stirring the pot and eventually it’s going to boil over in the best way possible. But first, we have to wait, there’s patience involved. We have to learn to be patient and trust in His timing. I mean the very concept of time was created by Him. I love how the scripture states that the children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up. Even though they already own everything, they will not receive it until they’ve grown up. 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. I think the father in this passage knew something that the young children didn’t. He knew that there would be a time when they would be ready for the inheritance. The inheritance was ready for them they just weren’t ready for the inheritance. The father was like, you have to grow up, you have to mature some, you have to live life a little and when you finally get it, you will appreciate it so much more. You ever look back on your life and thank God for doing what He did when He did it? It’s in these moments that we find just how perfect God’s timing is. How He sets us right where we need to be exactly when we need to be there. It’s crazy. God has everything we ever dreamed or wanted, sitting in His hands; but first we have to grow, first we have to be moulded a bit more, first we have to go through life a little bit. It’s like He’s looking down and saying you’re not ready yet, I have a set time for you and when you get to the place I need you to be I will have everything you need. It’s like he has a map and only He knows the route to the destination and He’s guiding us through it. He knows where we have to go and what we have to do to get to the place He needs us to be. The route is preparing us, and sometimes it takes longer than others but there’s a guarantee that we’ll get there exactly when we’re supposed to be.   

I think sometimes we spend too much time comparing our journey to someone else’s. We look at how God has blessed others and we start to wonder why ours is taking so long. Don’t look at someone else’s blessings and say why I don't have mines yet. We don’t know how long that person has waited, how bloody the knees are from constant praying. Then it all goes back to the set time that God has for each of us. We may know know what that time is but we know for sure that’s it’s perfect.

All this to say, we each have a set time that God has set for us. We don’t know when this time is but we will know when we’ve arrived. However, in the meantime, let’s enjoy the journey. Let’s draw closer to Him as He draws us closer to our blessings. Let’s dig deeper into and take the time to grow while He is working on what cannot be seen.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to respond to what we discussed today. Talk to God about what that inbetween time looks like, pray about trusting in His timing.

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 267!

Day 250: If You're Thirsty...

Isaiah 55:1

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk it’s all free!”

This water is free, there is no charge for it. If you’re thirsty come drink so that your thirst may be quenched. Now I’ll speak normal. What this scripture is metaphorically saying is, there is no price for salvation. You don’t need to bring anything to get something back. Salvation is a gift, we just have to accept it. Salvation is life to our dead souls. It’s like crisp water to our dry and thirsty souls. I love the idea or the analogy of a thirst being quenched because it paints this picture so beautifully. I’m pretty sure everyone knows what it’s like to be thirsty, but there is a certain type of thirst that cannot seem to be satisfied until you have a glass of water. It’s like when you wake up at about three in the morning and your throat is screaming for a glass of water. When you get up and go get that water it’s like heaven in your body. Then you can go back and sleep peacefully. That’s how our souls long for God. He is the only thing that can satisfy the thirst of our souls.  Our souls cannot be at rest until it is united with it’s Creator. Our thirst cannot be quenched until we have the right water to quench it, the right food to feed it. That water and food comes through the precious blood of Jesus the spilled out on that cross for us. The food is in the word of God. The thing is this water is everlasting, this food won’t run out. As long as our souls are thirsty for God, there’s always the loving water to quench it. That’s what we call growth. Our souls are constantly seeking the Lord, it never stops. We are constantly drawn closer to Him. We are constantly living in and with God. That thirst will always be there, and as long as we are in a relationship with God we never have to worry about dehydration.

The other part of this scripture that tells us the wine and milk is free is astounding as well. There are many of us who are under the impression that we need to bring something other than our heart in order to receive salvation. There is no amount of money or sacrifice we could bring that will equal the cost that Jesus paid on the cross. However we do bring our heart to Him, we come openhearted and surrendered to Him, knowing that our salvation is a gift. You don’t have to get yourself together before coming to Christ, we get ourselves together after we give our lives to Him. Everything will fall into place once we dedicate our lives to Christ and there’s no amount of money we can pay for that. It’s all free, salvation is free, don’t let anyone tell you any different.

All this to say, if your soul is thirsty go replenish it with the living water that God provides. Our souls cannot and will not be at rest until it is united with it’s Creator. There is nothing we can do to buy or be deserving of such a gift, that’s why it’s called a gift. It has been freely given to us. Just come and drink.

Reflection

1. Do you ever feel undeserving of salvation?
2. Have you ever felt like you have to bring something other than your heart to God in order to be worthy of salvation?
3. Is your soul thirsty?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God about what we discussed today, have a conversation with Him about your relationship with Him. Talk to Him about your salvation.

If your soul is thirsty and you feel the Holy Spirit tugging on your heart, now is the time to respond. Now is the time to accept Christ into your life. If you want to make that decision today if you want to make that decision today, pray this prayer with me.

Jesus I declare that you are my Lord and Saviour who died for my sin 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. 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 and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! If you’ve decided to follow Christ today, congratulations! Go tell someone about it! Make sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 251!

Day 240: Recap!

Day 233: What About Us

Today we talked about checking in with ourselves and also checking ourselves. We talked about looking into our own lives and making sure we a good before we go trying to tell someone else how to live their life. We talked about how we often overlook ourselves in favor of someone else. We focused on Luke 6:42.

" Take care of your soul before you take care of someone else’s. We can’t talk to anyone else about their relationship with God when ours is either non-existent, complicated or on the rocks."

Day 234: Merely Vessels

Today we basically talked about humility and how we are merely vessels God uses for His. We talked about how we are not to get into our heads that we are the ones doing God's work. Rather it is God working through us. We focused on 1 Corinthians 3:5-7.

"No matter how much we plant or how much we water, until God does the increase, nothing will happen."

Day 235: God is Building Us

Today we talked about growing in Christ and how God is building us every day of our lives that we are committed to him. We talked about how the word for our spirit is like milk for a baby. It is what we need to grow in Christ. We focused on 1 Peter 2:2-5.

"Sometimes we don’t understand why He’s doing certain things in our lives, we don’t understand why things are going the way they are. We don’t understand what’s going on at that moment in time. But just hold on, keep longing for that pure spiritual milk, keep going and keep growing and when it’s all said and done, we will realize that He was building us. He was shaping us and moulding us."

Day 236: Foundation in Christ

Today we took it back to the basics and talked about building a solid foundation in the Lord. We talked about how a foundation in Christ gives us stability and the ability to build without falling down, no matter what comes our way. We focused on 1 Corinthians 3:10-13.

"Everything we are is in Him, we must find our identity in christ and follow Him all the days of our life. We must learn to depend on Him and trust Him in every area and moment of our lives, A life without a solid foundation is not a life that will get us anywhere. Lay your foundation in Christ and build on that, trust me, whatever you build will stand."

Day 237: God's Temple

Today we talked about how we are God's temple and we must learn to take care of that. We asked ourselves a lo too questions, one being is our temple a place where God dwells. We talked about the condition of our temple and keeping it "clean". We talked about how sometimes we can allow things to corrupt our temple. We focused on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

"Sometimes we try to get around the parts of the bible we think don’t apply to us or shouldn’t apply to us. That’s not how it works, it’s all or nothing."

Day 238: Spirit Filled Life

Today was a bit of an expansion on what we talked about yesterday. We talked about the dangers of allowing sin to remain in our lives, no matter how small or no that big of a deal we think it is. We talked about how we must rid every sin in our lives that we know is there and not hang on the little things we try to let slide. We talked about getting rid of anything that will taint or put a hole in our spirit. We focused on 1 Corinthians 5: 5-8.

"Life isn’t just about “not sinning”. What kind of life would it be if it were. It’s about living for something and someone far greater than ourselves. Let’s not allow sin to take root in us, but weed it out and allow our spirits to dwell in Christ and the Holy Spirit in us.:

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 ay 241!

Day 236: God is Building Us

1 Peter 2:2-5

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Today I want to talk about growing in God, and how as we draw closer to Him we grow more in every area of our lives. Our faith grows more, our knowledge of who He is and His word grow. Our passion for Him grows. Every area of our life is enhanced. The more we grow in the Lord the more we become like Christ. We become better people overall. I love the analogy of a baby longing for milk. A baby craves it’s mother’s milk, because it has all the nutrients needed to help the baby grow into a child. The milk of the mother is bringing life to the child. In the same way, when we give our lives to Christ we are like newborn babies, and we crave that spiritual milk from Him so that we may grow in our faith. The scriptures tells us to long for the pure spiritual milk. The milk that causes us to grow up in our salvation. What if that milk is the blood of Jesus, the word of God, the Holy Spirit, everything that points us to a life of salvation and eternity. That’s the secret right there, if we want to grow in our faith, if we want to continue to grow and not stay stagnate, we must long for the word of God, and allow that word to take root in us so that ours lives begin to change to look like Christ’s. We must long to follow the only living God. We must seek His face, and through His word God will build us into the men and women of God He has always planned for us to be. Through our prayer, and longing for Him, He will build us up.

Like a baby it takes time, many times, things don’t happen overnight. We have to go through some things. We have to be cleansed. We have to let go of a few things and people in our lives before we can grow. We have to be rejected like Jesus. But when alls said and done we will  realize what god was doing all along. Sometimes we don’t understand why He’s doing certain things in our lives, we don’t understand why things are going the way they are. We don’t understand what’s going on at that moment in time. But just hold on, keep longing for that pure spiritual milk, keep going and keep growing and when it’s all said and done, we will realize that He was building us. He was shaping us and moulding us. In Isaiah 55:8-9 it says, “For my thoughts are not your thought, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” God always knows the plan, even when we don’t understand it. He is constantly building us up, and making us into the vessels that He will use to bring glory to Him and His kingdom. We must learn to accept that sometimes, we aren’t going to get what God is doing until He is done. We won’t have answers until He reveals them to us, But in the meantime, we must continue to trust Him and seek His face. We must continue to seek that pure spiritual milk that He speaks of in order for us to grow. We can grow in the moments of uncertainty as well. It’s in those moments when we learn to trust God and have faith.

All this to say, if we want to grow in Christ, if we want to grow in our faith we must push towards Him and draw near to Him. We must lean on His word and lean towards Him.

Reflection

1. What is something that stood out to you today?
2. Are there times in your life when you don’t understand what God is doing?
3. If those times have passed can you look back and see how He was using your situation then to make you who you are now?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer today. Talk to God about spiritual growth and whatever it is on your heart today. Have a conversation with Him.

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 237!

Day 220: Unpacking Romans 12- Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Isaiah 55:7-9

Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

When we become Christians, everything changes about us, from the inside out. They say Christians are more attractive, but that’s not the point. When we become Christians, our lifestyle has to change and in order for that to change our mindset has to change, the way we think about about things and the way we view the world and people has to change. We cannot walk with Christ and still have the mindset of the world, it won’t work. The mind is very powerful, that’s why they used to have billboards and commercials, and posters in the classrooms when we were younger, telling us “the mind is a terrible thing to waste.” As corny as it was, it’s true, a lot of times we are ruled by our thoughts. Some of the greatest inventions and discoveries started as a thought. It also works the other way, many of the biggest crime Lords, and even serial killers started off with a thought. Our minds shape a lot of who we are, How we think says a lot about who we are. If we want to be like Christ we have to think like Christ.

One of the questions I always ask myself is,  ‘Is the glass half empty or half full?’ Just to see where my mind is. When we become a Christian we will almost always view the glass as half full. Meaning with Christ, it’s never over until He says it’s over, and as long as I have breath in my body, it’s not over. Christ has changed the way I view life, love, people, and the world. What I’m getting at here is, if our mind is not renewed our life cannot be renewed. If we are still moving and thinking the same way we did when we were in the world, how are we ever going to grow in Christ. A worldly mindset does not work in a Christian body. It just doesn’t, our thoughts have to be His thoughts. We must think like Christ in order to be like Christ. Move like Christ did and view the world as He did.  

I think when our mind is renewed by Christ we are more in tune with His voice and His will. We  become one with Christ meaning we can hear his voice more clearly, and we can differentiate between His voice and the voice of the enemy or even our voice. Also when we are in tune with Christ it’s almost as if every thought or idea of doing wrong is banished,

All this to say, when we submit our lives to Christ, we must also change our mindset. Allow our minds to be renewed by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. When we grow our mind grows with us. So when we grow in Christ so our mind will also grow. These things are not separate. I’ll leave you with this scripture.

Matthew 22:37

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Response/ Prayer Time

Take the time to think about what we spoke on today. Respond in whatever way you feel led. There are no questions today, just take the time to have a conversation with God. Ask Him to renew your mind. Have an honest conversation with Him.

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 221!

Day 204: Comfortable With Who You Are?

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Today I want to talk about growth and maturity and how the society we live in has a huge impact on that. I grew up listening to this scripture, and from the very start I knew that it was about  growing up and being mature. At some point in our lives we will have to move on from being a child and become an adult. Not just physically but mentally.

We live in a world that teaches us to be comfortable with who we are, in every sense of the word. There is a problem with that, it also teaches us to be comfortable with who we are not without ever exploring who we are really supposed to be. I can speak for nearly everyone when I say, the person we are right now is not the person we were a year ago or maybe two years ago, maybe even a month ago. As humans we are constantly changing, constantly evolving, so why are we settling?  This new movement of comfortability has caused a generation to be stagnant. If we were always comfortable there would be no growth, we grow as people when we are pushed out of our comfort zones. However, I am afraid this society is teaching people to stay in the box they are comfortable in, in order to be happy. Sometimes reaching our highest potential means that there will be moments of sadness, bitterness, anger, frustration, confusion. We are not always going to be happy and that is okay. God gave us emotions and He gave us life, to feel and explore every part of it. Why are we stuck where we are comfortable and safe? Why are we content with being semi-good or semi-okay? Why are we okay with living a life we know could be better but we’re happy where we are so we aren’t going to go any further? Why are we pushing people to believe they are something they’re not when we know the truth?

We are conditioning people to live and accept a life of sin or a life unfulfilled because in the name of not offending anyone we want you to be comfortable with who you are. We have become more concerned with people’s emotions rather than their souls. It has caused a growing number of stagnation within the body of Christ and humanity as a whole. If Jesus was concerned about all the people who would be mad at Him for speaking truth and imparting wisdom, where would we be? If He was more concerned about hurting someone’s feelings rather than saving them from their sin where would we  be? If He was concerned about what people would think of Him, He would not have gone and died on that cross. Jesus had a bigger picture in mind, He wasn’t concerned that people were angry because He interrupted their corrupt and comfortable ways of living. No He was concerned with their soul, they’ll get over the anger eventually, but they couldn’t get over being condemned for all eternity. It was as if Jesus was saying, “If I have to take this cross so that you can see you are more than a sinner, and more than what you think you are, I’ll take it. Because where you are is not where you are supposed to be.” He loves us that  much.

All this to say, who we are at the present moment in  time is not who we are meant to be or who we are going to be. Yet due to the changes and conformities within this modern society and the sensitivity of a generation we’d rather you be semi-happy than uncomfortable. Somewhere along the line we stopped growing. Somewhere along the line the truth got a little too real for some people so we started to conform. People started getting angry and hostile so we started to retreat, and let them be. We, as the body of Christ cannot allow any of that stop us. If we want growth we have to be willing to change. We have to be willing to step out of old ways and walk where God wants us. That means that we even have to deny ourselves sometimes and claim our identity in Christ and not settle for who we think we are. But the goal is to really be the person God created us to be.  That will take a lot of moulding and shaping to do. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about self-love and confidence, but I am against stagnating oneself. Yes I want to encourage people to love themselves but I also want you to know that growth is limitless.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to respond, however you feel led. There was a lot thrown at you today. Talk to God about what we discussed today, have a conversation with a friend or someone else, start a discussion. Just respond, however you respond is okay. Then pray about whatever is on your heart.

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 205!

Day 165: We Don't Have Forver

Psalms 146: 2

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Psalms 146:4

When His breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

Some of the best advice I have ever received was to live every day like it’s your last. Live like today is the last day or the last chance you have. We have to make sure we live in the moment and live it to the fullest, not putting things off because we don’t have forever, and we don’t want to leave this earth not completing the thing we set out to do because we put it off for tomorrow. While at the same time not worrying about what tomorrow will bring.

There is a thing called procrastination and it’s plaguing college students, especially myself, everywhere. We say what we’re going to do but wait until the last minute to get it done. Like fifteen-page research papers. Time is very interesting, it stops for no one, it slows down for nothing, and no matter what every day we are growing older. It seems like there is no time to do anything, but it also seems there is time to everything. One thing for sure is that we don’t have forever here on earth, so while we’re here, make it matter.

Our generation is great at making plans, and eventually, we get to them. I’m a firm believer that if you want something you go out and get it, make it happen. We must realize that yes, we’re young now but one day we will get old and it’s creeping up on us. The 90’s baby reign is over. Now I’m not telling you to speed up or rush through life, just don’t waste the time you have. It’s precious.

This scripture is also a reminder that not everything lasts forever, and not everything is meant to last forever. We must enjoy what we have while we have it. This happens a lot in our twenties as we grow older and start to mature. We start to grow apart from people we thought we would spend forever with. We start to find ourselves and we start to realize that a lot of things are coming to an end. But that doesn’t mean the end of the world, it means that there is more room for a new beginning. We don’t have to look at the end as something bad, it’s not always a bad thing, or at least it doesn’t have to be. As we grow as people in this world and as people of faith we will start to change and we will start to grow apart from things and people. Our mindset and opinions with start to change. We transform into a completely new person. This isn’t something to be feared or pushed away but rather embraced.   

Everything has an end, nothing lasts forever. I believe that God places us where we are for a reason. Where we are is exactly where He wants us to be. He has us where we are whether it’s for a season or a lifetime. It’s his plan. While we’re there we must make the most of it. Cherish the time we have because like I said, and I can’t stress enough, it doesn’t last forever. Don’t let that get in the way of you living life to the fullest. Sometimes we anticipate that things in our life won’t last so we refrain from engaging. Even if it’s not for forever, at the moment it’s worth hanging on to.

Reflection/Prayer Time

How do you relate to what we talked about today? Do you have things in your life worth holding on to? What are they? Write it down and pray about it, talk to God about the changes in your life and learning to live in the moment but also embrace the things that don’t last forever.

I love you and I hope you have a great day or evening, be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 166, and hit the follow button on the blog.

Day 45: It Is My Duty

It Is My Duty...

It is our duty as Christians, as the body of Christ to care for, defend, speak up, and lift up our brothers and sisters. We cannot sit around and do nothing when we have the ability to change a situation for the better. We are our brother's keeper. We must stand together and be one body, or else we fall.

Galatians 6:1-2

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

How many times have we been in a position to do something for someone and didn’t? How many times have we seen our neighbor falling and didn’t pick them up? How many times have we stood by and watched the oppressed remain oppressed? Many times we have the ability to do things and we do not because it will mean sacrificing self. It will mean possibly ruining a reputation, or image that we have taken so long to build. But God did not give us the power and authority to rule His nations, and have dominion over the land for nothing. God has place His word on our hearts, He has given us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. We are His people, and sometimes we have to stand up for His people. He is instructing us to lift up our brothers and sisters, carry their burdens, be a voice for the voiceless. It is our duty.

Standing up and speaking about it is one thing, and praying about it is another thing, and something we must do. But God gave us the gifts and ability to act, we have to put these words in action and be there for our brothers and sisters. And this sometimes means standing up for those whose lifestyles we don’t necessarily like or agree with. It means loving and defending our enemy, It means opening our door to people we wouldn’t usually sit next to on the train. And yes, it means taking in refugees. Jesus never turned anyone away, he never pushed anyone away because of their lifestyle, but He came for everyone. He came to heal, and direct His people. We must take on the attitude of Christ towards others.

It is our duty to:

1, hold one another accountable, and when we see our neighbors falling we are there to restore them and pick them up. Many times we are quick to judge the sins of our fellows Christians without knowing what led them to turn away from from God. But the moment we see someone slipping we should all be rushing to make sure they stay on track. Because that is how we are supposed to love and care for one another.  We cannot be the type of people to kick someone when they are down, that is not Christ-like. We must lift them up, we must pray for them, and with them. We must go to our brother or sister and let them know that God is greater than their sin, or struggle. God has equipped all of us, so that when one falls the next is there to catch them. If we can help bear the burden, why not take it on. Standing on the sideline and encouraging with our words sometimes isn't enough. We have to get in the game a play in order to get a victory. And when that victory comes we have to be okay with receiving no recognition for it. Because we do not help our brothers and sister for what we will get out of it. We have to put ourselves aside, for the well-being of others, and that in itself is a reward. Jesus did it for us, so let’s pass it on.

2. Stand up for one another. We have a voice, and God has given us the words and wisdom to speak up when we need to. Many times as Christians we shy away from speaking up out of fear that we will be judged. Well, news flash, we’re judged every day of our lives whether we know it or not or whether we like it or not, so that’s something we can stop being afraid of. There are people that need our voice, who better to speak for them than the body of Christ? There are people being oppressed and if we can do something about why not? People are waiting for us. If we are loving our neighbors as ourselves that means we are standing up for our neighbors the way we stand up for ourselves. We are defending and protecting our neighbors the way we would defend and protect ourselves. Because we love them, and it is our duty.

• I don’t care if we agree with people, or the lifestyle they live, it’s not for us to judge. God does the judging. What we are here to do is love them. All of them, not just the people we like, not just Christians, not just the people we know. We are to love EVERYONE. Standing up for each other, being there, speaking up, and defending our brothers and sisters falls under the umbrella of love.

Alot has fallen on this generation. We are living in and have grown up in a time where there is a lot of pressure to fix everything broken in this world, and create a better one for the generation after us. One thing’s for sure is that we cannot fix it without Christ. Now is the time for us as not only young people with a voice, but young Christians to be on the frontline of every outlet. We must occupy the space we are in and use the platform we have been given to share the message of Christ, to give the people hope in a Savior that saved us long before we knew we needed it. A Savior that was thinking 2500 years in the future when He died so that we may live. The world needs us as the body of Christ to stand up and protect, and speak His word. We must declare that the power of the living God is greater than all the chaos that ensues in the world on a daily basis. We must be the love that the world is missing, We are representatives of Christ and we must lead His people back to Him. Use the gifts He has given you to spread His message. No matter how big or small your platform is, we each have the ability to reach somebody and that somebody can reach someone else, and we will start a chain reaction. Occupy the space you're in.  

Reflection

1. Reflect on what was discussed today. Do you believe that it is your duty to stand up, protect, and lift up your brothers and sisters?
2. How can you use the gifts and platforms God has given to reach His people?
3. What are ways that you can stand up for and defend the oppressed, give a voice to the voiceless, and lift those up who have fallen?
4. GO do it! But first…
   
   

...Prayer Time

Take the time today to pray for the world, and the state that it is in right now. Make that prayer a little more detailed, pray for your country, your city, your town, your village, your island, your community, your home. Pray that the people will be united and reunited with the one and only living God. Pray for wisdom, that you will be able to stand up for your brothers and sisters in a Christ-like manner.

Now go out there and fulfill your duty! Have an AWESOME day or evening, I love you! Share this with a friend and make sure you come back tomorrow for day 46!