Leave It

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God"- Philippians 4:6 (NIV).

The things we allow to bother us shrink in importance when taken to the Cross. There, Jesus invites us to lay them down where they pale in comparison to the blessings God has in store for those who persevere. Here is a segment of the lyrics to a great worship song, "Lead Me to the Cross": "Lead me to the Cross, where His loved poured out. Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to You. Lead me, lead me to the Cross" (Hillsong United). God went to great lengths to redeem you for Himself. Are you anxious? Take it, on your knees, to the foot of the Cross and leave it there. One last jewel from Hillsong's lyrics: "Everything I once held dear I count it all as loss." With that truth, trust the Lord by not picking it back up; leave it.

Thanksgiving List

"I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High"- Psalm 7:17 (NIV).

Thanksgiving church services usually sing Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The song is probably one of the most popular Thanksgiving songs. Part of the final lyrics are "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above." Stress and depression can ruin holidays and hurt our health. I listened to someone, who had been through an immeasurable loss, say she stilled her heart by listing her blessings and committing them to memory. Each time her mind was prone to wander back to past injustices, pain, fear or loss, she started to recite her thanksgiving list until her peace was restored. Your thanksgiving list is a gift, because each blessing comes down from God the Father, who does not change (James 1:17). He has taken our hearts and sealed them for His courts above. That should be number one on your thanksgiving list.

Along With Him

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things"- Romans 8:32 (NIV)?

There is something in this familiar verse few detect: "along with Him." It is the powerful truth that Jesus is working alongside God, the Father, blessing us with every good thing. Jesus isn't sitting off on the sidelines waiting for the moment of His glorious return; He is busy advocating for us, personally aware of of our every need. It's more than that: Jesus is back where He has always been; where He was during creation itself; on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. Have you ever stopped to wonder how God felt during Jesus' absence? For the first time, in all eternity, God, the Father, didn't have Christ Jesus seated beside Him.The reality of all of this: the redemptive plan for our souls was a huge sacrifice; more than we could ever imagine. What amazing grace, what undeserved mercy..."See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1a)!

Fix Your Eyes

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal"- 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV).

We are told to save for our future retirement. The time to save is now or we'll find ourselves lacking during our golden years. We need the same approach to our heavenly savings. Our eternal life is not some future endeavor to be thought about at some later date. No, the unseen eternal life we are promised is in the making now. Every good deed is a deposit in our eternal bank account. The status of your golden years will be decided when Jesus separates the sheep, to His right, from the goats, on His left. The sheep on His right will be given an eternal reward. How do you qualify to be placed to His right? It is reserved for those who fed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, proved shelter to a stranger, clothed the naked, visited both the sick and those in prison (Matthew 25:31:46). Individuals you care for may have had different faces, but the "unseen" true face is that of the Lord (v.40). You did it for Jesus. Fix your eyes on the eternal. 

His

"Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced, you His servants, the descendants of Israel, His chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth"- 1 Chronicles 16:12-14 (NIV).

From the beginning of creation, God has lavished his love upon us. That unfathomable love, His love, endures forever; and it has never wavered. He's the same God who made Abraham into a great nation, brought the Israelites out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea and gave the promised land to them as an inheritance (Psalms 136:13-26). How great is our God! We are such an infinitesimally small part of God's overarching plan, yet He has never stopped loving each and everyone of us. "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). His plans are set; nothing can stop the course of events that will eventually bring you into His presence. He is God! And you are His!

Spiritual Fruit

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"- Matthew 6:20-21 (NIV).

Fruit is produced, harvested, and then carefully canned and stored away for later use. Each jar contains the carefully preserved fruit ready to fill the need of the person who opens the treasure, whether they are the producer or the recipient of the stored up gift. Similarly, fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are fruits that get stored up in the hearts of both the producer and the recipient. These heavenly treasures of spiritual fruit fill a great need in ourselves and in others, and they cannot be stolen from either of you. The time for harvest is now. Produce the fruits of the spirit and fill both your needs and the needs of others, both now and stored for later consumption. The shelf-life of spiritual fruit is eternal.  

Narrow Road

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it"- Matthew 7:14 (NIV).

Everyone wants the "Easy Button." Why choose the hardest way to go, when there is a much more simple...easy...road to take. Many ask, "What's the least I have to do to accomplish my goal?" If you choose the harder path you'll find yourself traveling alone most of the time, because as you look around most everyone else seems to be on the faster, easier path. Don't be fooled. The two paths don't end up in the same place. Your friends may even taunt you or plead with you to change your course, but be diligent. Scripture says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (v.13). Take the narrow road; there is life at the end. The adage is true that the best things are worth the wait. 

Blinding Effect

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"- 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV).

The Pew Research Center released news that there has been an 8% drop among Americans who describe themselves as Christians in the past seven years. Jesus spoke of this blinding effect: "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind" (John 9:39). Blind Bartimaeus cried out for mercy when he heard the Lord Jesus was near, even though he was being scolded to be silent. Two beautiful words follow: Jesus stopped. Jesus, knowing what Bartimaeus wanted, still asked him: "What do you want Me to do for you?" And Bartimaeus told Jesus he wanted to see. Bartimaeus' faith healed him (Mark 10:46-52). There is a very real spiritual battle raging over the spiritual sight of every human being. Don't allow the god of this age to blindside your faith by trying to pull the wool over your eyes: Jesus is near. 

Exercise for the Day

"I will give You thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise You"- Psalm 35:18 (NIV).

We need physical exercise, mental exercise and spiritual exercise. Each, once done, produces rewards of renewal and increased strength. Here is a spiritual exercise plan for your day: Don Moen wrote the lyrics to Give Thanks, a song many Christians know and love: "Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One, give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son. And now let the weak say, "I am strong," let the poor say, "I am rich," because of what the Lord has done for us." Giving thanks is a rewarding exercise that strengthens your inner spirit; it builds faith, trust and fills with hope. It's time to do your exercise for today: Raise your voice, raise your hands; give thanks and feel God's peace renew you.