The Light of God
Psalms 119:105-106 105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
2 Corinthians 4:6 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
I am thankful for artificial light. When we moved to Richmond we didn’t notice that most rooms in our house had no overhead lighting. So, for two days we were without lighting at night until we found the boxes containing lamps.
Oh how I love the light that comes from God. The light of the Word indeed shines in the darkness of this sin-soaked world, keeping us on the pathway of holiness.
I encourage each of you to remember that God’s light can penetrate the deepest darkness. It is for this reason we never give up on praying for the lost.
May the light of God’s Word lead us, and the light of His Spirit precede us in every encounter where God can be glorified and people can be transformed in Jesus’ name.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Living by the Spirit
Galatians 5:24 – 6:1:2 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Doing Good to All
6:1 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. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Today’s devotional follows the fruit of the Spirit as outlined by Paul to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul goes on to say we must crucify the flesh. Jesus said in Mark 8:34 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
So how are we to apply this word to our own lives?
- Crucifying our flesh means we are to put to death any desires and actions that lead to sin. Sin starts with our thoughts, so instead of giving in to our thought life until we are acting on those thoughts, we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10:5.
- We are to avoid conceit by staying in the Word, recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God, James 1:17.
- We help others who are in error by praying that the Holy Spirit give us the words to speak that will penetrate the heart, assuring them we are not acting out of judgment but instead out of love.
- We watch our own hearts by staying aligned with the Scriptures and always listening for the Holy Spirit.
- We compare ourselves only to Jesus, living in Christ, and walking as close to Him as possible.
There is a lot packed into those few scriptures. The bottom line is we are His, and there is no place I would rather be.
I would like to remind you of the Hymn “Living for Jesus” by Thomas Chisholm.
- Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
- Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all. - Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross. - Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
May we look for opportunities today to live in the light of His love, taking the name of Jesus with us and sharing Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalms 71:1-5 (ESV) Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent
1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
Do you ever spend time contemplating your journey with God? I was blessed to be raised in church. More times than not we spent the weekend “in the country” with Gram, Aunt Gogo and Uncle Red and Aunt Meno and Uncle Buddy. We met Mama and Daddy and Aunt Mamie and Uncle Thompson at church and often Uncle Jack and Aunt Ethelyn would join us. Afterwards there was singing, laughter and plenty of food.
There was never a time in my life when I did not believe. And now that I am so much older than I ever thought possible, I still believe, I still hope, and I still have an unwavering faith in my Redeemer and my Sustainer. I am so lifted up by the psalms, knowing that I have never been through any situation for which there is no guidance in God’s Word.
There are so many words in Psalm 71 that call out to me. I have no right standing on my own, but Jesus imparts His righteousness to me. I am reminded of the songs of my childhood as I read about the rock of my refuge—“Rock of Ages,” “He Hideth my Soul,” and so many others. And of course, “On Christ the solid rock I stand,” songs to remind me of all Jesus did and will continue to do.
And then there is hope! Oh, blessed hope is Christ divine, ever faithful, loving and kind.
May we place all of our hopes, all of our faith and all of our fears in the hands of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
No Fear in Love
1 John 4:15 NIV If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
Have you ever considered that if a word is overused, perhaps its meaning is watered down? I love peanut butter fudge (who doesn’t, right?), I love purses, I love shoes…and so on and so on. But when I meditate on this verse, I begin to see the depth of the word love and I understand that it is so much more than just a word. Love is an action and it all starts with God.
We can see that God’s love produces confidence, it is perfect and therefore we who live in God’s love are complete in the knowledge and understanding that we have nothing to fear. Nothing. If we live in fear, or anger, or unforgiveness then we are not living in God’s love.
May we, today and everyday, live in the assurance of God’s love, letting our actions be the proof of His ultimate love within us ad for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We are not abandoned
Lamentations 3:19-25 (MSG) But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
22-24 GOD’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with GOD (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.
25-27 GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
I love being at home, but during this ice storm which began Jan 23, the frozen snow lingering today, Feb 3, even I am ready for a break. Both front and back yards appear to be covered in snow, but they are in fact solid ice. My husband has shoveled patches in the driveway hoping tires will grab hold of solid ground. Looking around one might feel abandoned as we huddle in our homes awaiting above freezing temperatures. But as Christ followers we are convinced that we are never alone, regardless of the circumstances.
Jeremiah the weeping prophet was sickened by the destruction of Jerusalem, yet he knew, understood and believed that God would never abandon His people. He remembered that God’s mercies were new every morning. This morning, I find myself singing that wonderful hymn by Thomas Chisolm, “Great is thy Faithfulness.”
- Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. - Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
May we cling to the God of our salvation who is ever faithful, knowing that we are not alone but His mercies truly are new every morning.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Seeking Holiness 