Tuesday November 9th

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” Hebrews 12:7-8

Dear Father, The phrase that sticks out to me today in your words is “and everyone undergoes discipline.” Before it almost slipped by me. I have often felt that so many others were disciplined way less than me and that a few were disciplined more. How foolish for me to try to judge what you are up to with each soul and to measure (as if I could) how you discipline us! Everyone undergoes discipline. No one is immune to it and no one dares to try to escape it either. It’s your way with sinners. We need hardship to keep us close. We need it for a thousand other reasons that only you fully understand. It leads us into a dependent relationship with you. It surprises us and knocks us off our self-made pedestal. It makes us need and want you and the relief you bring. It makes us evaluate our lives and look for sin we have committed. It makes us real and humble. It deals with our rebellion. Not one of us people on the planet escapes it. It’s only your children by faith that receive it as a part of a loving parent/child relationship with you. Help me to trust your love when I’m disciplined as much and when I seem to be not. Amen.

Good parents are expressing love when they discipline their children. How much more does God express his love when he allows his own to hurt

Saturday October 23rd

“God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” Romans2:4

Dear God, We often think of how you send hardship to turn me around. We even call it a “wake up call”. But we do not so readily think that you send grace and blessings to bring us to repentance. I remember being surprised the first time I read about Peter in Luke 5 falling to the bottom of his boat in fear and repentance when you blessed him with a boat full of fish. I would have thought he’d be celebrating. Instead he was repenting. When I think of your Son on the cross for me, it leads me to humble myself too. But it also makes me thankful that you would save a wretch like me. Your blessings, even the blessing of Jesus ,lead me to honesty about my unworthiness of such generosity. They lead me to love and trust you too. If you can keep blessing a sinner like me, you are the most stable person in all the universe for me. Thank you for changing my heart and life through your consistent grace based generosity toward me. Amen.

Karma is humankind’s weak attempt to take credit for what God loves to give out of grace

Friday October 22nd

‘I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.” Philippians 1:5-6

Dear Heavenly Father, This thought comforts me in all my relationships: You are in a relentless pursuit to grow us into better people for our good and your glory! I think about this in moments of failure. I think about it when others fail me too. You are always growing all of us. You won’t let us go. In every circumstance, if we will look to you for the lessons you are teaching, we will find them, even if they just teach us to trust you and not ourselves so much. Always teaching us and growing us until the very end when we get carried to perfection! To think that you are growing everyone makes me patient with others too. I don’t get so tied to events as I do to a program of change. Help me to retain what your word teaches here. I want to grow in the word about growth. You began the good work of faith in your grace long ago in my life. You are still actively transforming my personality today. Give me the humility and faith to let you mess with my head, my heart and my life for your glory. Amen.

God loves us too much to leave us “babies” our understanding of life

Thursday October 21st

.“Blessed in the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit .Psalm 32:1-2

Dear Heavenly Father, I remember lying to my parents to avoid punishment. All my life I’ve been tempted to dishonesty in order to avoid being in trouble. I know I’m not alone. I inherited it from Adam. He was dishonest with himself when you came calling for him. I would never be able to abide appearing before you on the last day if I didn’t know your mercy. David says it here in the psalm; it’s a blessed life when we are forgiven. The grace removes the guilt and shame but there is an added benefit too. That forgiveness makes us honest. The need for a lie falls off. The power of an honest life is invigorating. Thank you for giving me mercy that restores me to honesty and peace. The peace and strength of honest confession and forgiveness have become the greatest blessing in my life for my relationship with you, people and with myself. Grace is that amazing! Amen.

Nothing works to restore a soul after the trauma of sin, like good naked mercy

Saturday October 16th

.“He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’ ” Luke 10:18-204

Dear Jesus, It’s my nature to find my greatest joy in the things you allow me to accomplish in life. But at the end of the day, everything I create is vulnerable to the whims of others and the tragedy of changing circumstances. Once I erect a trophy for my own mind, someone comes by and knocks it down, or builds a bigger, better tower. Finding my greatest joy in my work is disappointing and distorted living. Your word here points me out of that darkness. I have something much better than my own accomplishments in which to rejoice. I have my security for an eternal. No matter what frustrations plague my temporary life, I will survive it all and finally stand on the precipice of history with you and look back over the landscape of my life as it fits into your grand universal scheme. I will see my place in time from my place in eternity and everything will make sense to me, especially the disappointments. Oh, Jesus, keep my safe in this faith. Amen.

God enters our short life and reminds us that he won us for the long game

Friday October 15th

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, “We are his off spring.” Acts 17:22-28

Dear Jesus, So many things happen to me. I also make so many things happen both good and bad. Every era of my life has been marked by some kind of stress. It seems that looking back or looking forward is always more pleasant than looking at the present. Daily, I wonder what is the meaning to my life? I wonder who I am, why I am here and where I am going. By grace and in love for my soul you have given me the only answers that work for me. Who am I? I am your special creation, invented by you to hold this space and time. But I have fallen too. I’m not everything you hoped I would be. So, why am I here? I’m here at this place and time to find you and your mercy .I’m here in the present with all its stresses to reach out for you and find you once again. Where am I going? I’m going through this short life to a day when I will stand before you the author of all of life and I will be welcomed into heaven by grace and grace alone. You have given me the meaning to my life? Thank you for choosing me of all people to be granted the insight that makes life truly meaningful. Amen.

Everyone is in search of meaning. We find no lasting meaning until we search for and find God himself

Thursday October 14th

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. ”Psalm 133

Dear Jesus, You gave Israel the high priesthood and his sacrifices to settle all matters of sin and dispute between them. When they took their problems to the temple they knew your heavenly Father had settled them. This brought them a unity from outside themselves. It was your great recovery plan. When David understood that, he wrote this little psalm to help his people always remember that they had your recovery plan for the maintenance of good relationships. He reminded them that the sacrifices that settled sin were as refreshing as mountain cool temps and dew that wet the grass. Today, we have you who replaced the him priestly office and its grand recovery plan. Your gospel and the Lord’s Supper are our recovery plan. They restore our relationships and help us let you settle our blame and shame that we create between us with our sins. Help all our people and me to understand and practice this great recovery plan that comes from outside ourselves from you, the Father and the Holy Spirit. I want the brotherly unity that you promise to give. Amen.

If God has reconciled his holy justice through Christ, who are you to hold back forgiveness from someone?

Wednesday October 13th

“For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains ,then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:8-10

Dear Heavenly Father, Who would have thought that the Sabbath Day commandment was connected not just to the rest you had on the seventh day after creation but also to the rest your Son gives us from work righteousness, denial, blame, projection and excuses that we make because of our sins. You rested from your work of creation because, in love, you had finished making us a perfect world. You rested from your anger over sin when your son said, “It is Finished.” Now we can rest from trying to make this a heaven on earth. We can rest from trying to earn your favor. We can rest from trying to fix every broken relationship. We can rest in the promise that now we are restored to you, we will also get to live in a restored world in the next life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, for the rest we have in grace. I have entered this rest. Amen.

Augustine said it best, “We find no rest until we find our rest in God.

Tuesday October 12th

“But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” 2 Peter 3:5

Dear Heavenly Father, My generation deliberately forgets that you created everything from the farthest galaxy to the smallest ion simply by the power of your word. You spoke everything into existence. Even though so many have robbed you of the glory for what you have done, don’t let me do that. Don’t let me rob you of the glory by embracing theories about nature doing supernatural things all on its own and don’t let me rob you of your glory by living as if everything is mine to do with it what I will. This is all yours and I am you temporary guest here. Give me the wisdom and faith to use the small piece of the universe that you have leased to me in way that makes you happy and leaves the greatest blessing or those who will follow after me. Amen.

Nothing in your life is really yours. It’s God’s so take care of it how he would

Monday October 11th

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3

Dear Jesus, It’s part of the very foundation underneath so many other things I believe. You created all things out of nothing in six short days. Everything was perfect, everything did and still does belong to you and you will call all people to account for how they lived in your universe under your gracious blessing. From you, in you and for you are all things. This changes the way I look at marriage, my job, my possessions, my friends, my choices, my life story and my destiny. Help me to live by faith and not self-sufficiency so that I make the best of the life you have generously allowed me to live here in your house. Amen.

If there is no room for God in your life, it’s because you unwittingly think it is your room

Saturday 9th

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4

Dear Heavenly Father, The two words, love and faithfulness, are plastered all over the Old Testament. Sometimes they are translated as “love and truth.” Here in your wisdom from Solomon, you show how important these two characteristics really are to you. Solomon tells us that David impressed on him to wear them like a necklace and to write them on his heart. The love he talks about is a love that is independent of anyone deserving it. It gives and forgives freely. It’s felt by friends and enemies alike. The faithfulness is a consistency and loyalty that makes one dependable in every situation. I don’t have either of these virtues perfectly, but I see how important they are to you. By being loving and faithful, your Son saved my soul. By my being loving and faithful I can make you and people happy. I want these virtues more than any other. Make me loving and faithful toward all who know me. Help them see you and your ways when they look over my shoulder to see what I am up to. Give them the freedom to trust when they think of dealing with me on any matter. Amen.

There is nothing more handsome or beautiful than looking like Jesus from the inside out

Friday October 8th

“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Acts 2:26-28

Dear Jesus, You led Peter to quote David’s psalm about your on Pentecost, the great feast 50 days after you had risen from the dead and 10 days after you had ascended into heaven. Your Holy Spirit was putting everything together for us in the head of Peter so we might understand what the good news really is. Because you rose from the dead after paying for our sins, now our bodies will rise from the dead after dying because of sin. Our souls will never die and our bodies will live again on the last day. These are the “paths of life” as Peter put it. I find great comfort in these truths. Recently, I have watched as the bodies of two of my friends died only three days apart, one from a stroke and another from cancer. I wonder what it will be in my body that fails me someday. Your gospel gives me something better to think about. Whatever it is that kills this body, it will be you that raises it to life, just like yours was raised. My body is now in the path of life as my soulclings to you. This is good news. Since I have the good news, I will live with good intentions in how I serve you and people today with this temporary yet recyclable body. Amen.

Your body is here on earth to carry God around to bless people. Use it the way it was intended

Thursday October 7th

“Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. Let the king been thralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. The city of Tyre will come with a gift, people of wealth will seek your favor. All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her-those brought to be with her. Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.” Psalm 45:10-15

Dear Jesus, Thank you for making me your bride and changing my identity. Looking into this psalm about you and me, I see that by your divine decree I am free to forget my old tired worn out self-criticisms and to fully adopt my new identity as your wife. I get all the honor and praise of royalty before angels and all the saints in heaven. I am yours and you are mind. Give me the power today to live by faith in this new identity and to boldly fulfill my role as the blessed virgin bride of the king of the universe. Make me magnanimous and generous. Make me helpful, loving and true to all people. Let the glory of your grace shine through my life to strengthen and bless others. Amen. Your new identity in Christ has the power to change not only your life but the lives of those around you, that is; if you will let it

Wednesday October 6th

“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun-all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” Ecclesiastes 9:7-10

Dear Heavenly Father, You gave me this time slot and this cubbyhole on your planet to enjoy for a few short, years. After I’m gone others will take my place, live in what was once my home and drive what was once my car. Help me to enjoy the life you’ve granted by living thankfully and existentially in every moment. Give me the wisdom to see each experience as a gift from your hand. Help me to enjoy the life you’ve granted by living thankfully and existentially in every moment. Give me the wisdom to see each experience as a gift from your hand. Help me to use this life to bless others as much as I’m blessed, to leave this world a better place and to plant around the earth your words of truth so they bud and flourish long after I’ve begun to rest with you in the heavens. Amen

Life is brief and finite. Make the most of this present moment for God, for others and for yourself

Tuesday October 5th

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God....Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:26-34

Dear Jesus, All my life I’ve been annoyed to know that others were talking about me. I remember in grade school when I realized that the girls among my classmates talked about everyone and everything about everyone including myself. I remember overhearing my parents, my educators, my friends, my enemies and even my pastors talking about me. For years it drove me crazy that I could not control the diatribe and reputation that others created for me based on a limited understanding of what made me tick. It seemed so unfair and undisciplined, and a tool of the devil. I know Jesus that I overreact to this because of my sinfulness .Thank you for being forgiving and patient with me. I’m deeply comforted to know that although I suffer herewith people talking about me, that you and the Holy Spirit are talking about me to the heavenly Father. That’s what counts with me now. It’s not what people say to people that matters so much. It’s what you three say to each other about me that counts for me. Your word assures me; the Holy Spirit seeks help for me when he talks to the Father about me. You seek my pardon and forgiveness when you talk to the Father about me. I choose to focus on what you three are saying about me to each other rather than concern myself with the words of fallible mortals. Amen

.t doesn’t matter what people are saying to people about you as much as it matters what God is saying to God about you

Saturday October 2nd

“He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:10-13

Dear Jesus, After you shouted “It is Finished!” from your cross, you were anything but finished blessing us. Now, from your seat in heaven, you whisper in the Father’s ear and talk to him about me (Romans 8). You rule over all things all over the world for the good of your church (Ephesians 1:23) and here you tell me that you dole out leaders for the church to grow people into your likeness. I have had many teachers and pastors who have done your bidding to disciple me into who I am today. All along it was you that sent them. You knew what I needed and brought them into my life. I will be forever grateful. Thank you for continually sending more and more soul shepherds to your earth. You once told us to pray for more laborers (Matthew 9:35-38),and so here I am asking for you to increase the workers in your vineyard in these last days while so much spiritual darkness is being puffed out all over the world. Amen

.If you have been touched spiritually by any church leader ever, you have Jesus to thank

Friday October 1st

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them I the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Dear Holy Spirit, I see you listed as the third person of the Trinity in the “great Commission” of Jesus. I hear theologians call you the “silent member” of the holy Trinity too. In part I believe it, you never bring attention to yourself, but you faithfully and forcefully move throughout humanity as each generation is born. You call wayward hearts home to the Father and the Son by making sure people are inspired with truth that jettisons to sons between them. You whisper into the ear of the rebel and comfort the sad and shamed sinners. You point to Jesus and make us see his work for us. You purify my heart by leading me to repentance and faith. You make me wise to help others and you give me the desire to do it. If it were not for your quiet efforts I would be a useless heap of rubble. But as it is, you make me a tool in the hand of the Father to change the lives of others. Thank you Holy Spirit for being the God of my soul. Amen.

God’s Holy Spirit is the appointed best friend we all need

Thursday September 30th

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Dear Jesus, How simple and yet how profound are these words written by your aging apostle! You have always been the Word who was with God and who is God. You were involved in the creation of the world. You made me and all creatures. Then, you became one of us, to redeem us from our devastating mistakes. You are full of power, grace and truth. As my creator today, accept my life as a “thank offering” to you. As my redeemer, accept my grace towards others as my way of honoring your sacrifice for me. As my teacher, accept my willingness to obey your command to believe in your word as objective truth. You are God. You are my God. You are my God and I love you for how you made me and then saved me. Amen.

We are Jesus’ invention and he takes care of that which is his

Wednesday September 29th

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” Colossians 1:24

Dear Jesus, At first glance Paul’s words look blasphemous. How could anything be lacking in the sacrifice you made? But when I consider the context I see that he is taking us to deep spiritual truths. He’s talking about the union we have with you as believers. You are in us leading us to serve just as you did. As we lay down our lives and give up our own wills in order to spread your word and confront people to save them, you are suffering through us. It’s a “sacramental” suffering to bring your salvation to others through our lives. We are your means to save. Ah, this is part of what we mean by “mystic union.” We are mystically united with you. You are in us and we are in you and together we suffer to serve the planet. How deep! How real! How intimate it becomes! Help me to have the same attitude of Paul and give me the wisdom and strength to resist the quitter and delegator attitude so prevalent among my people. Amen.

Serving God and people is not easy but it’s important

Tuesday September 28th

“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.” Luke 24:36-43

Dear Jesus, You wanted them to know you were not only alive but that you were still fully human. They got to touch you and you ate in front of them. Once you had become human you would never return to being only God. That’s a great mystery (1 Timothy 3:16). Now you are fully one of us and we are one with you. We are the redeemed human! Our bodies will be like yours someday, glorified and holy. Seeing that you appeared in the glorified flesh gives me peace and hope. My body so subject to decay will one day be changed to eternally alive. Thank you for becoming like me so I could become like you. It’s grace in living color. I will live with hope today. Amen.

Because he lives we also live too and with a whole different outlook.