Do It for Him

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17

When we have a task to do that we don't enjoy, it helps to think of doing it as a sacrifice to God. And when we have a job to do, we should do our best work to glorify Him. Everything we do should be done as if God had given us the job Himself. For, in fact, He has.

Music to Our Ears

As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

1 John 2:25

Jesus has promised eternal life to all who abide in Him, who abide in the truth. To speak of abiding in truth is not popular these days. We live in an age of relativism, where our culture claims truth is subjective. But Jesus made it clear that there is absolute truth. He said there is only one way to God, and that is through Him. And He promised that all who come to Him and receive Him as their Savior will live with Him in Heaven. To the unbelieving, this sounds like foolishness. But to those of us who have placed our trust in Christ, this wisdom of God is music to our ears. 

He Provides

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:33

Something amazing happens when we follow the Lord, putting Him first in our lives. The things we thought were so critical to our happiness -- that we worried about keeping or losing -- become less important. And the things we never thought we'd care about -- the simple things in life -- become desirable. It's a mystery how this occurs, but God just seems to set our priorities straight. We gain so much freedom when we turn our lives over to Him. He gives us our "daily bread" and that is sufficient.  

Thank You, Lord, for always knowing just what we need and providing it.

So Simple

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

John 14:21

We show our love for the Lord by obeying His commandments. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love one another (Mark 12:29-31). When you think about it, this is really so simple. Put God at the center of your life and follow His instructions. When we do this, Jesus discloses Himself to us and teaches us to love God and others more. He's given us a manual (the Bible) to follow, so we don't need to wonder what we should do. If we stray, His Holy Spirit convicts us and leads us back to Him. Through Jesus, God has made a way for us to have a relationship with Him. We'd be foolish not to go for it.

Precious Words

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand."

John 10:27-28

These words of our Lord become more precious to me every day. He is The Good Shepherd and I am His precious lamb. When I am afraid or sad, I hear His voice reassuring me that I am not alone, He is near. If I go my own way, He warns me to turn around and follow Him. In those times when someone offends me, my Shepherd reminds me to forgive them as He forgives me. In the morning, in the afternoon, in the night -- His voice guides and directs me. This is the joy that will never be taken from me. I am His eternally and no one can ever change that. If you know the Lord Jesus, these words are for you, too. Praise His name!

We Have the Evidence

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 7:26-27

Before Christ's sacrifice on the cross, the forgiveness of sins was dependent upon continuous sacrifices in the temple by a human priest, who first must make a sacrifice for his own sins. But on Calvary, Jesus became the perfect, sinless sacrifice, once for all. After His death, resurrection and ascension into Heaven, Christ became our perfect High Priest. When we receive Him as Savior and accept His sacrifice as final payment for our sins, we have confidence that God has forgiven us. Through the gift of His Son, God provided a way for us to approach Him. This is evidence of His grace, mercy and love. Hallelujah!

Consider His Blessings

    Bless the LORD, O my soul,

 And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

    Bless the LORD, O my soul,

         And forget none of His benefits; 

    Who pardons all your iniquities,

         Who heals all your diseases; 

    Who redeems your life from the pit,

         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 

    Who satisfies your years with good things,

         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

The blessings of the Lord are endless. If He did nothing more than redeem us, that would be enough. Far more than enough. But the Lord's love and kindness extend beyond our salvation to our daily care. He is infinitely interested in our welfare. We have a wonderful God. Consider how He has blessed you and praise His name!