28
Jul '22
Peace With God
28
Jul '22
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
This peace that God gives may be beyond our comprehension, but it’s not beyond our grasp. It’s readily available to us. If we want to have peace with God, there are no “Three easy steps to peace with God.”There is only one way—Jesus.
When Jesus died on the cross, God put all of the sins of the world on Jesus—past, present, and future. When we accept this gift from God and put our faith in Him, we get the righteousness of Christ. This righteousness, according to Romans 4:23-24, is “credited” to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead.
We all want God’s peace. But until we come to a saving relationship with Jesus, receive His gift, and are saved, we’ll never have it. It’s best stated like this: If we want the peace of God, we must first have peace with God.
When we sin—and we will—this does not cancel out peace with God. When we are justified by God, it’s a one-time event. We’re not justified over and over. Praise God that our human condition doesn’t render our saved, spiritual condition as null and void.
So, what does peace with God do for us during uncertain times? It grants us hope. Hope that the life we live on earth is just the beginning of our forever life with God. As followers of Jesus, people who’ve accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’re given life abundant and life eternal. They go hand in hand.
Because we have the hope of Jesus and His Holy Spirit guiding us, an abundant life is possible here on earth. When we’ve taken our final breath in our temporary body on this earth, we are ushered into eternity. This life in our forever home is eternal and abundant. But, they are both just a continuation of what was begun on earth.
If you know Jesus, if you’ve made Him your Lord and Savior, then you can rest assured that whatever earthly scenarios or circumstances are weighing heavily on you don’t have eternal power over you. In light of what awaits us in our true home, this life is just a tiny segment in time. The peace we have withGod is what guarantees our hope of what’s to come.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
When I read this devotion one scripture came to mind that I wanted to leave you with today. If you are saved and a follower of Christ you will know this profound setting of scripture but to some, it may be foreign to you. He has made the hope that is spoken about in this devotion so easy to obtain, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
If you have chosen to accept Christ into your life, don’t stop there, read the bible, surround yourself with worship music, reach out to a local church in your area, get connected and link arm in arm with the leadership and the people of that church. If you need a Bible, ask, there are also so many Bible resources out there if you have an electronic device.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
06
Mar '20
Joy and Goodness
06
Mar '20
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Sometimes we focus too much on the enemy and what he is up to!
Jesus came so we wouldn’t just survive life… but have abundant life.
God is so good that He didn’t just provide for our eternity; He provided for this life too.
God gave us Jesus so we would have abundant love, abundant laughter, abundant joy…abundant life!
Purpose yourself to focus on the joy and goodness of what He has done.
Take a minute to write down just a few things you already possess in abundance!
“… whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
I love this devotion today, it blessed me. What truth! When you focus on the good, the good gets better.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
18
Nov '19
How to be Happy
18
Nov '19
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
What determines your happiness everyday?
True happiness isn’t found in having something, doing something or being something. Being happy is a choice. Everyday you have to choose if you’re going to let problems and the stressful situations you face get you down. If you wait until all your problems and stress go away to be happy, you’ll be waiting a long time.
In the midst of the stresses and problems facing you, you can choose to enjoy your life. Just like you can set the alarm clock on your phone to get up in the morning, you can choose to set your attitude everyday.
Jesus died so we could have the good life. So why not live life happy?
Here are some tips to boost your happiness:
* Look for and expect something good to happen today.
* Don’t allow your joy to be stolen by the negative things that happen to you everyday.
* Laugh more at yourself and find something to laugh about daily.
* Forgive yourself and others for mistakes.
* Learn to enjoy God, yourself and the people around you.
Happiness is a choice. You choose everyday if you’re going to let the worries, problems and junk from your day get you down. Determine that you’re going to decide to be happy no matter what is going on around you. You’ll find that you’ll quickly start enjoying life more!
I pray this devotion encourage you to choose happiness today. Sometimes it’s hard to find your happy but God has given us every reason to be happy. Choose happiness today and remember, Happiness is enjoying the little things in life.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is John 17:17
11
Sep '19
How to Love the Life You Have Even If It’s Not the Life You Wanted
11
Sep '19
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
There came a time when I had to accept that my life had not turned out the way I thought it would, and no amount of wishing it were different could change it.
Sometimes we come across an unexpected bump in life, causing our plans to derail and our hopes to shatter. Or maybe we simply wake up and realize the life we’re living isn’t the one we expected, much less the one we wanted. As a result, we feel unhappy, joyless and discontent.
Perhaps you can relate.
Maybe you had a dream crushed after years of pursuing it. Perhaps you stayed at a job for years building your retirement fund, only for the company to go bankrupt and take your life savings with it. Perhaps you’ve experienced the heartbreak of infertility when you planned on having a full house. Maybe you had a loved one die far too soon, leaving you feeling alone and lost. Maybe you were struck with an illness that limits your abilities and independence. Or by now, you thought you’d be married but are still single, or maybe you invested years in a marriage that ended painfully in divorce.
Or possibly, nothing earth-shattering has happened at all, and life is the same as it has always been. Same ol’ circumstances, different day. And therein lies the problem: Surely there has to be more to life than this.
Regardless of your reason for feeling unhappy with your life, maybe you think loving the life you have is impossible unless circumstances change.
Trust me, friend, I understand.
The last several years have brought unexplainable sorrow, fear, disappointment and crushed dreams. There were countless days, months in fact, I thought I would never be able to feel truly happy again, much less love my life.
Yet over time, through a lot of faith and tears, God helped me accept that although I couldn’t change the circumstances I found myself in, I could change how I reacted to them. I realized I’ve been given one life to live — this life — and I could either continue to allow adversities to have power over my happiness, or I could embrace God’s promise for abundant life and make it a reality in my own. The choice was mine.
In John 10:10, Jesus explains there’s a thief who seeks to steal, kill and destroy us. But in John 10:10, Jesus declares He came to earth so we could not only live life but live it abundantly despite the thief’s intentions. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Here we see the contrast between the destroyer of happiness and the Giver of joy.
Jesus was explaining He is the answer to experiencing the best life possible despite what life throws at us. He is what gives our lives meaning and joy.
Choosing to learn to love my life, even if it wasn’t the life I had imagined, was the best choice I’ve ever made. It wasn’t always easy, but as I intentionally chose to let Jesus be the source of my joy, even in the midst of less-than-joyful circumstances, my perspectives and feelings changed for the better.
The life you have today, and all it includes or doesn’t include, is the life God has given you. It’s the life you’re supposed to love, despite what it looks like. It’s the only life you have, and the only life you’re going to get. You can live it abundantly with joy based on Christ alone or let life pass you by as you allow problems, disappointments or drudgery to steal your zest for living.
Sweet friend, no matter what you’re going through, loving life is a choice, not a by-product of everything going our way. Our peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment and overall happiness depend on the choice we make.
I now realize it was not only within my reach to love my life again and live it abundantly, but 100 percent within my control, as it is for you.
Your happiness is up to you.
Lord, I want to enjoy my life! I commit today to begin looking at life differently and being thankful for the life You’ve given me. Change my heart and mind so I can live abundantly in Your peace and joy. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I love this devotion! I was blessed when I read it. My happiness is up to me, it’s up to you. What will you choose today? Loving life is a choice, not a by-product of everything going our way.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Psalm 121:1-2